Citation Nr: 21077456 Decision Date: 12/29/21 Archive Date: 12/29/21 DOCKET NO. 15-04 233A DATE: December 29, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include depression, generalized anxiety disorder, chronic adjustment disorder, and parent-child relationship problem (resolved), is remanded. REASONS AND BASES FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from September 1988 to March 1989, from February 2003 to October 2003, and from April 2010 to April 2011. This case comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from an October 2014 rating decision. The case was previously remanded by the Board in July 2018. In a November 2021 rating decision, the issue of entitlement to service connection for left knee strain with meniscal tear was granted. This is a full grant of the benefit claimed, and it is no longer part of the current appeal. While the Board regrets further delay, remand is needed to ensure proper development of the claims on appeal. Specifically, the Board finds that the medical opinion obtained after the prior Board remand is inadequate. In July 2018, the Board expanded the claim for service connection for anxiety to also include service connection for parent-child relational problem. See Clemons v. Shinseki, 23 Vet. App. 1 (2009). The Board remanded the claim for an additional examination and opinion as the prior examiner found the Veteran had no history of psychiatric complaints, findings or treatment, despite the record showing otherwise. The Board specifically cited psychiatric diagnoses of depression, anxiety, parent-child relational problem resolved, and adjustment disorder after knee surgery. A new VA examination and medical opinion was obtained in August 2020. The examiner found that the Veteran did not currently have any psychiatric diagnoses that conformed the diagnostic criteria, and therefore did not provide an opinion regarding any relation to service or service-connected disabilities. However, the examiner did not discuss other periods of time during the appeal period during which the record indicates other psychiatric disabilities had been diagnosed. Therefore, the Board finds the current opinion inadequate. Barr v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 303, 311-12 (2007). Accordingly, the Board finds remand is necessary to obtain a medical opinion which addresses all possible psychiatric disabilities during the appeal period. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Associate any pertinent VA or private medical records that are not already of record with the claims file. 2. Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination with a psychiatrist or psychologist to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disability, to include depression, anxiety, parent-child relational problem resolved, and adjustment disorder after knee surgery. The examination may be held via telehealth during social distancing restrictions. For all of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders that have been present since 2013, discuss whether the disorder is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. For all of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders that have been present since 2013, is it at least as likely as not (a) proximately due to service-connected disability, or (b) aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability, to include the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability. A rationale must be provided for all opinions in the report. The examiner should note that an opinion should be provided for any psychiatric disability diagnosed during the appeal period, even if the examiner finds that the Veteran does not currently have a diagnosable psychiatric disability. If an opinion cannot be given without resort to speculation, the examiner must explain why that is so. Mary E. Rude Acting Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board H. Ahmad The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.