F32 Diagnosis Codes
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This article provides an overview of F32 diagnosis codes, including diagnostic criteria, differential diagnoses, depression coding guidelines, and when to use the F32 depression code.
It’s important for mental health clinicians to use the correct F32 diagnosis code for efficient diagnosis, treatment planning, and insurance and billing. Using the right codes can avoid potential hiccups with insurance companies.
What is the ICD-10?
Clinicians around the world use a coding system called the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), published by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ICD-10-CM is a clinical modification of the ICD-10 used specifically for diagnosis codes, such as F32 diagnosis codes.
In addition, providers in the United States use the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA’s) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). Both books contain ICD-10 codes, but the DSM-5 contains more comprehensive diagnostic information and criterion for mental health disorders.
Providers use ICD-10 codes to ensure standard diagnostic language to measure and track health information and identify trends. In the U.S., ICD-10 codes are used to support clinical documentation and insurance claims.
What is the F32 diagnosis code for?
There are two depression DSM-5 F codes: the F32 depression code, which specifies singular episodes of depression, and F33, which denotes recurrent depressive episodes.
While the F32 diagnosis code is for singular depressive episodes, it is not sufficient for billing purposes as multiple diagnoses fall under F32, as we list below.
List of F32 depression codes
The depression ICD-10 codes include:
- F32: Depressive episode
- F32.0: Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild
- F32.1: Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate
- F32.2: Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe without psychotic features
- F32.3: Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe with psychotic features
- F32.4: Major depressive disorder, single episode, in partial remission
- F32.5: Major depressive disorder, single episode, in full remission
- F32.8: Other depressive episodes
- F32.81: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- F32.89: Other specified depressive episodes
- F32.9: Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified
- F32.A: Depression, unspecified*
*Insurance companies added an additional specifier—ICD-10 code F32.A—as it was thought the F32 diagnosis code alone didn’t capture the occurrence of depression not further specified, and thus, statistically inflated the incidence of major depressive disorder.
Major depressive disorder diagnostic criteria
The DSM-5 criteria for the F32 diagnosis code (major depressive disorder, single episode) include:
A. Five or more of the following symptoms during the same 2-week period, which represent a change in functioning. At least one of the symptoms is either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure. Other symptoms include:
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by self-report or report by others.
- Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities, reported by self or others.
- Significant and unintentional weight loss/gain or decrease/increase in appetite, as indicated by a self-report or others’ observations. In children, this means a failure to make expected weight gains.
- Sleep disturbance nearly every day.
- Psychomotor changes (agitation or retardation) observed by others.
- Fatigue or loss of energy every day.
- Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
- Difficulty concentrating or indecisiveness, nearly every day (observed by others or subjective report).
- Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation with or without a plan, or a suicide attempt.
B. The symptoms cause significant distress or impairment to important areas of functioning.
C. The depression is not attributable to substance use.**
D. At least one major depressive episode is not better explained by schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia spectrum, or other psychotic disorders.
E. There has never been a manic episode or hypomanic episode.
**Criteria A to C represent a major depressive episode.
When recording the diagnosis, clinicians should include whether it is a single or recurrent episode, or seasonal pattern; mild, moderate, or severe; with or without psychotic features; and if it is in full or partial remission.
Additional specifiers clinicians should include are:
- With anxious distress
- With mixed features
- With melancholic features
Differential diagnoses
Even though clients may meet some criteria for a depressive disorder, there may be a more appropriate diagnosis, such as:
- Manic episodes with irritable mood or mixed features
- Depressive disorder due to another medical condition
- Bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, or specified bipolar and related disorder
- Substance or medication-induced depressive disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Major depressive episodes superimposed on schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or other unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
Other ICD-10 depression codes
Depressive disorders are some of the most frequently billed ICD-10 codes, appearing multiple times in our article on the 20 most commonly billed ICD-10 codes by mental health clinicians.
In addition to F32 diagnosis codes for depression, there are several F33 codes for recurrent depressive disorder.
These ICD-10 codes include:
- F33: Major depressive disorder, recurrent
- F33.0: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild
- F33.1: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate
- F33.2: Major depressive disorder, recurrent severe without psychotic features
- F33.3: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms
- F33.4: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission
- F33.40: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified
- F33.41: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in partial remission
- F33.42: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in full remission
- F33.8: Other recurrent depressive disorders
- F33.9: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
- Coding accuracy tips: Depression, unspecified vs Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified. (n.d.) Independence Blue Cross.
- ICD-10-CM | Classification of Diseases, Functioning, and Disability. (2024). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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