Understanding the Major Depression ICD-10 Code
Download the top mental health ICD-10 codes cheat sheet
Download free resource
Enter your email below to access this resource.
By entering your email address, you are opting-in to receive emails from SimplePractice on its various products, solutions, and/or offerings. Unsubscribe anytime.
Looking for major depression ICD-10 codes or mood disorder ICD-10 codes? This article provides an overview of depression ICD-10 codes and major depressive disorder symptoms.
Using the appropriate major depression ICD-10 code is critical for clinicians when assessing clients, defining treatment goals, and ensuring accurate billing and timely insurance reimbursement.
Bookmark this article to refer to the next time you need to find the right major depression ICD-10 code for a client exhibiting major depressive disorder symptoms.
What are ICD-10 codes?
The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) is a clinical guide published by the World Health Organization (WHO), which uses standard diagnostic language to identify health and disease trends. Clinicians in the U.S. refer to the ICD-10-CM, a clinical modification of the ICD-10 used for diagnosis codes.
Clinicians in the United States also commonly use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which also contains the relevant major depression ICD-10 codes.
The main reasons therapists and clinicians use ICD-10 codes include recording a diagnosis to accompany an assessment and for insurance billing purposes.
What are the ICD-10 codes for different types of depression?
Major depressive disorder is classified in the ICD-10 under the section Mood [affective] disorders (F30 to F39), and the sub-sections Depressive episode (F32) and Major depressive disorder, recurrent (F33).
There are several ICD-10 codes for depressive disorders listed in the ICD-10, which are categorized by single episodes of depression and recurrent depression.
Depressive episode (F32) codes include:
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild (F32.0)
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate (F32.1)
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe without psychotic features (F32.2)
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe with psychotic features (F32.3)
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, in partial remission (F32.4)
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, in full remission (F32.5)
- Other depressive episode (F32.8)
- Note: This code should not be used for reimbursement purposes as there are multiple codes below it that contain a greater level of detail.
- Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified (F32.9)
- Depression, unspecified (F32.A)
Major recurrent depression ICD-10 (F33) codes include:
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent (F33)
- Note: This code should not be used for reimbursement purposes as there are multiple codes below it that contain a greater level of detail.
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild (F33.0)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate (F33.1)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent severe without psychotic features (F33.2)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms (F33.3)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission (F33.4)
- Note: This code should not be used for reimbursement purposes as there are multiple codes below it that contain a greater level of detail.
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission, unspecified (F33.40)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in partial remission (F33.41)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in full remission (F33.42)
- Other recurrent depressive disorders (F33.8)
- Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified (F33.9)
Major depression ICD-10 codes appear in SimplePractice’s list of the 20 most-frequently billed ICD-10 codes several times:
- #3 Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate (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 features (F33.2)
- #18 Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified (F32.9)
Severe major depression ICD-10 criteria
Major depression ICD-10 criteria include the following major depressive disorder symptoms:
- Low mood (which may vary from day-to-day)
- Reduced energy
- Decrease in activity
- Reduced capacity for enjoyment, interest, and concentration
- Tiredness after even minimum effort
- Disturbed sleep, such as waking in the morning several hours before the usual time
- Diminished appetite
- Reduced self-esteem and self-confidence
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Somatic symptoms, including loss of interest and pleasurable feelings, depression being worse in the morning, marked psychomotor retardation, agitation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and loss of libido
Depression is specified as mild, moderate, or severe and may include single episodes of:
- Depressive reaction
- Psychogenic depression
- Reactive depression
Recurrent depressive disorder is defined as repeated depressive episodes, as described in the symptoms and criteria above, without a history of independent episodes of mania. However, hypomania may be present immediately after a depressive episode.
Recurrent major depressive disorder can occur at any age, with varying intensity and duration.
DSM-5 major depressive disorder symptoms
While the major depression ICD-10 codes are the same in the DSM-5, the DSM-5 includes more detailed diagnostic criteria, summarized below.
- Five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period causing impairment to functioning or loss of interest/pleasure for most of the day, nearly every day:
- Depressed mood
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities
- Significant weight loss or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional)
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness
- Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for suicide
- To receive a diagnosis, major depressive disorder symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
- The episode is not attributable to the direct physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition
- At least one depressive episode is not better explained by schizoaffective disorders
- There has never been a manic or hypomanic episode
Clinicians should also specify if the depressive episode occurs along with any of the following:
- With anxious distress
- With mixed features
- With melancholic features
- With atypical features
- With psychotic features
- With catatonia
- With peripartum onset
- With seasonal pattern
Differential diagnosis for major depression
While some patients may meet one or two of the criteria for a depressive disorder, there may be a more appropriate diagnosis to consider, such as:
- Manic episodes with irritable mood or mixed features
- Bipolar disorders
- Depressive disorder due to another medical condition
- Substance/medication-induced depressive disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Disruptive mood regulation disorder
- Major depressive episodes superimposed on schizophrenia, delusional disorder, schizophreniform disorder, or other specified or unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
How to find the major depression ICD-10 code
The full list of major depression ICD-10 codes are available in the following digital and book formats:
- The official ICD-10 from the WHO, under the section of Mood [affective] disorders (F30 to F39), and sub-section, Depressive episode (F32) or Recurrent depressive disorder (F33)
- ICD-10 Data, a searchable ICD-10 database
- DSM-5 in the textbook and digital version
It is worth noting that the DSM-5 also contains accurate corresponding ICD-10 codes. However, they may not align with the most recent ICD version and diagnostic criteria and other indicators may differ.
How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice
SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.
If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to streamline appointment bookings, reminders, and rescheduling and simplify the billing and coding process—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.
Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.