Find the Right ICD-10 Code for Depression
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Determining the right ICD-10 code for depression is essential for mental health clinicians.
Different types of depression present different symptoms and may require different treatment. Therefore, there are several depression ICD codes — each one refers to a specific condition that’s being treated.
Depression ICD codes range from F32 to F33.
To get the ICD-10 for depression that most accurately describes your client’s diagnosis, the following criteria will indicate the specific code to use:
- Severity of the condition: mild, moderate or severe
- Frequency of episodes
- Whether it presents with or without psychotic features
Using the correct ICD-10 code for depression helps accurately communicate the diagnosis and ensure effective management and treatment. It can also help the billing process to run more smoothly and prevent delays in insurance reimbursement.
The codes are updated each year on Oct 1.
Bookmark this article as a reference to use next time you need to access the most common ICD-10 codes for depression.
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What are the most common depression ICD codes?
ICD codes are International Classification of Disease codes developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). They’re used to identify health and disease trends across countries using a standard diagnostic language.
Additionally, ICD codes are used to describe a diagnosis when billing insurance.
SimplePractice’s list of the top 20 ICD codes most commonly used by behavioral health clinicians when billing insurance, includes several ICD-10 codes for depression.
Major depression ICD-10 codes appear in five instances on the list of the 20 most-frequently used codes:
#3 Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate ICD-10: F33.1
#12 Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild: F33.0
#14 Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate: F32.1
#17 Major depressive disorder, recurrent, without psychotic feature: F33.2
#18 Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild: F32.0
Another common depression code you may be searching for is:
Depression, unspecified ICD-10 aka major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified: F32.9
How to find depression ICD codes
You can see the entire list of ICD-10 codes for depression under the “Mood Affective Disorders” section of the official ICD-10.
You can also find codes by searching the ICD-10 database.
The CMS.gov database is another good resource because it keeps codes up-to-date, and the codes are confirmed as billable.
While you may be able to find the ICD-10 code in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), keep in mind that the diagnostic indicators and requirements of the DSM-5 don’t always align perfectly with the descriptions in the ICD. d
What’s the ICD-10 code for anxiety and depression?
Finding the right ICD code for a client experiencing symptoms of both depression and anxiety can be more complex.
According to the official ICD-10, the code F41.2 for the diagnosis of mixed anxiety and depressive disorder can be used “when symptoms of anxiety and depression are both present, but neither is clearly predominant, and neither type of symptom is present to the extent that justifies a diagnosis if considered separately.”
However, in cases where both anxiety and depression are not linked to each other, and symptoms of each are severe enough to justify individual diagnosis, you should assign separate ICD codes to the two conditions.
While the client’s depression and anxiety may be connected, each condition may have its own characteristics and severity.
Anxiety and depression may also require separate tests to diagnose, as well as separate treatments and prescription drugs for management.
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