Depression ICD-10 Codes (F32, F33) for Therapists
Major depressive disorder is coded F32 for a single episode and F33 for recurrent episodes. The characters after the decimal point record the current severity, psychotic features or remission. Here is every depression code a therapist is likely to need, and how to pick the one your note supports.
Want to see an AI-drafted progress note first? Open a fictional note in the MentalNote editor, no sign-up needed.
Codes and titles checked against the CMS ICD-10-CM code files for FY2026 and FY2027 (FY2027 took effect October 1, 2026; none of these codes changed). General information, not coding or billing advice: you are responsible for the codes you report, and payer rules vary.
Quick answer
- Single episode of major depression: F32.0 mild, F32.1 moderate, F32.2 severe without psychotic features, F32.3 severe with psychotic features, F32.4 partial remission, F32.5 full remission, F32.9 unspecified.
- Recurrent major depression: F33.0 mild, F33.1 moderate, F33.2 severe without psychotic features, F33.3 severe with psychotic symptoms, F33.41 partial remission, F33.42 full remission, F33.40 remission not specified, F33.9 unspecified.
- Other depression codes: F32.A depression, unspecified; F34.1 persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia); F32.81 premenstrual dysphoric disorder; F32.89 other specified depressive episodes.
- Not billable: F32, F33, F33.4, F32.8 and F34 are headings. Report a code with all of its characters.
F32: major depressive disorder, single episode
Use F32 when the record shows one major depressive episode and no earlier, separate episode. ICD-10-CM excludes bipolar disorder (F31.-), manic episodes (F30.-) and recurrent depressive disorder (F33.-) from this category, and notes that adjustment disorder (F43.2) is coded separately.
| Code | ICD-10-CM title | Use when the note documents |
|---|---|---|
| F32.0 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild | A current episode documented as mild. |
| F32.1 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate | A current episode documented as moderate. |
| F32.2 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe without psychotic features | A severe episode with no hallucinations or delusions. |
| F32.3 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, severe with psychotic features | Psychotic features (mood-congruent or mood-incongruent) during the episode. |
| F32.4 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, in partial remission | After a major depressive episode, full episode criteria are no longer met: residual symptoms remain, or the period without significant symptoms has lasted less than two months. |
| F32.5 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, in full remission | No significant symptoms for the past two months. |
| F32.9 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified | Major depression is diagnosed but severity or status is not documented. ICD-10-CM lists "Major depression NOS" here. |
F33: major depressive disorder, recurrent
Use F33 once the record documents at least one earlier major depressive episode that was separate from the current one. The category also covers recurrent episodes of seasonal depressive disorder, so a seasonal pattern is written in the narrative and coded by the current episode's severity or remission.
| Code | ICD-10-CM title | Use when the note documents |
|---|---|---|
| F33.0 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild | A recurrent disorder with a current episode documented as mild. |
| F33.1 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate | A recurrent disorder with a current episode documented as moderate. Often seen in outpatient therapy. |
| F33.2 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent severe without psychotic features | A severe current episode with no hallucinations or delusions. The official title has no comma after "recurrent". |
| F33.3 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe with psychotic symptoms | Psychotic features in the current episode. ICD-10-CM lists "Major depressive disorder, recurrent, with psychotic features" under this code. |
| F33.40 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in remission, unspecified | Remission is documented but the note does not say partial or full. |
| F33.41 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in partial remission | After the most recent major depressive episode, full episode criteria are no longer met: residual symptoms remain, or the period without significant symptoms has lasted less than two months. |
| F33.42 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in full remission | Full remission: no significant symptoms for the past two months. |
| F33.8 | Other recurrent depressive disorders | Other recurrent depressive disorders, such as recurrent brief depressive episodes. |
| F33.9 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified | A recurrent disorder whose current severity or status is not documented. |
Other depression-related codes
| Code | ICD-10-CM title | Use when the note documents |
|---|---|---|
| F32.A | Depression, unspecified | Depression that is not yet established as a specific depressive disorder (depression NOS, depressive disorder NOS). DSM-5-TR uses it for unspecified depressive disorder. |
| F32.89 | Other specified depressive episodes | Other specified depressive episodes, such as atypical depression. DSM-5-TR uses it for other specified depressive disorder. |
| F32.81 | Premenstrual dysphoric disorder | Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. |
| F34.1 | Dysthymic disorder | Persistent depressive disorder. "Persistent depressive disorder" and "Dysthymia" are inclusion terms under this code. |
| F34.81 | Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder | Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, in children and adolescents. |
| F53.0 | Postpartum depression | Postpartum depression (postnatal or postpartum depression NOS). The F53 category has Excludes1 notes for mood disorders with psychotic features, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and postpartum dysphoria (O90.6, Postpartum mood disturbance). For established major depressive disorder with psychotic features, use F32.3 or F33.3 according to episode history; manic, bipolar and other psychotic disorders have their own codes. |
| F43.21 | Adjustment disorder with depressed mood | Depressed mood that is a response to an identifiable stressor and does not meet criteria for a depressive disorder. |
| F43.23 | Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood | An adjustment disorder with both anxiety and depressed mood. |
| F06.31 | Mood disorder due to known physiological condition with depressive features | Depressive symptoms judged to be the direct physiological effect of a medical condition. |
| F06.32 | Mood disorder due to known physiological condition with major depressive-like episode | A major depressive-like episode due to a known physiological condition. |
ICD-10-CM has no code titled "depressed mood". When no diagnosis is established, symptom codes such as R45.2 (Unhappiness) and R45.84 (Anhedonia) exist. R45.851 is "Suicidal ideations", not a mood code. Z13.31 (Encounter for screening for depression) is for a screening encounter, not a diagnosis. For the wider list, see the most-used F-codes for therapy billing and the mental health ICD-10 reference.
How to choose the code from what the note documents
The code should be the last step, not the first. Work through the record in this order, and if the note does not support a step, document more before you code more specifically.
- Rule out bipolar disorder. If the history includes a manic or hypomanic episode, the presentation is not coded in F32 or F33. Write what you asked and what the client reported.
- Rule out other causes. Note whether substances, medications or a medical condition could explain the symptoms. A depressive disorder due to a known physiological condition goes to F06.31 or F06.32, with the medical condition coded first. Substance-induced depressive disorders are coded with the substance codes, which are outside this page.
- Single episode or recurrent. Count documented episodes. DSM-5-TR treats episodes as separate when there is an interval of at least two consecutive months in which criteria for a major depressive episode are not met. One episode: F32. More than one: F33.
- Current severity. Mild, moderate or severe depends on how many symptoms are present, how intense they are and how much they impair functioning. A screening score such as the PHQ-9 can support your judgment but does not set the severity on its own.
- Psychotic features. For established major depressive disorder with psychotic features during the depressive episode, use F32.3 for a single episode or F33.3 for recurrent episodes. First assess whether schizoaffective disorder or another psychotic disorder better explains the presentation. Record whether the psychotic features are mood-congruent or mood-incongruent in the narrative.
- Remission. If full criteria are no longer met, choose partial or full remission (F32.4/F32.5, or F33.41/F33.42) and record since when.
- Other specifiers. Anxious distress, mixed features, melancholic or atypical features, peripartum onset and seasonal pattern do not have their own ICD-10-CM codes. They belong in the diagnostic formulation. See diagnostic specifiers for depression and anxiety.
DSM-5-TR and ICD-10-CM line up for major depression: mild, moderate and severe map to the .0, .1 and .2 codes; "with psychotic features" maps to F32.3/F33.3; partial and full remission map to F32.4/F32.5 for a single episode and F33.41/F33.42 for recurrent; unspecified maps to F32.9/F33.9.
Billing tips for depression codes
- Code to the highest specificity the note supports. If your assessment documents a moderate recurrent episode, F33.1 is more accurate than F33.9. Some payers query or deny unspecified codes for ongoing therapy, so update the code once you have completed the assessment.
- F32.A or F32.9? F32.9 says the client has major depressive disorder, single episode, with severity not recorded. F32.A says depression without an established specific disorder. Do not use either when your note documents more.
- Use complete codes. F33.4 on its own is a heading; it needs a fifth character (F33.40, F33.41 or F33.42).
- Keep the record consistent. The diagnosis in the note, the treatment plan and the claim should match. When the client moves into remission or has a new episode, change the code and document why.
- Explain treatment in remission. If you continue therapy for a client in full remission, document the clinical reason, such as relapse prevention after several episodes.
- Check codes every October 1. ICD-10-CM is updated each fiscal year.
Example: documenting F33.1 (fictional)
Fictional example written for this page. The client and every detail are invented; there is no real PHI here. It shows assessment language that supports a specific code.
Assessment and diagnosis (fictional client)
Adult client · Individual session, 53 minutes · Diagnostic assessment completed this session
- Client reports depressed mood most days, loss of interest in hobbies, poor sleep, low energy and difficulty concentrating for about five weeks.
- Two earlier depressive episodes reported, each followed by more than a year without significant symptoms. No history of manic or hypomanic episodes reported; no hallucinations or delusions.
- Still working, with reduced output; has cut back on time with friends. PHQ-9 score 15, reviewed in session.
- Risk: denies current suicidal ideation, intent or plan, and denies past attempts. Protective factors: family support, engaged in treatment. Crisis resources, including 988, reviewed.
- No current substance use beyond one or two drinks a week; reports no medical condition or new medication that could account for the symptoms.
Diagnosis: Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate (F33.1).
Plan: Weekly CBT with behavioral activation. Re-administer PHQ-9 every four weeks. Coordinate with the client's primary care provider with the client's written authorization.
Each part of the code has support in the note: earlier separate episodes (recurrent, F33), moderate symptoms and impairment (.1), no psychotic features, and bipolar disorder considered. For worked notes in each format, see SOAP notes for major depressive disorder, progress notes for MDD, DAP notes for MDD, BIRP notes for MDD and the depression treatment plan example.
How MentalNote fits
MentalNote drafts progress notes from a recorded session (with your client's consent) or, in the Word add-in, from a summary you type. It does not assign or suggest ICD-10 codes: a draft includes a diagnosis or code only when you state one, and you choose, check and enter the code. You review every draft before it goes in the record.
MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. The free plan includes 5 web-app scribe sessions a month with no credit card; Premium is $99/month or $990/year (pricing). See AI progress notes for therapists and the AI SOAP note generator.
Depression ICD-10 codes: common questions
What is the ICD-10 code for major depressive disorder?
Major depressive disorder is coded in ICD-10-CM category F32 for a single episode and F33 for recurrent episodes. The full code adds the current severity, psychotic features or remission status: for example F32.1 is major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate, and F33.1 is major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate. F32 and F33 on their own are category headings, not billable codes.
What is ICD-10 code F33.1?
F33.1 is "Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate". Use it when the record shows at least one earlier major depressive episode, separated from the current one, and the current episode is documented as moderate. If the current episode is mild, the code is F33.0; if severe without psychotic features, F33.2.
What is the difference between F32.9 and F32.A?
F32.9 is "Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified": the diagnosis is major depression, but the severity or status is not documented. F32.A is "Depression, unspecified", which ICD-10-CM uses for depression NOS and depressive disorder NOS, when a specific depressive disorder has not been established. DSM-5-TR uses F32.A for unspecified depressive disorder.
What is the ICD-10 code for MDD, recurrent, in partial remission?
F33.41 is "Major depressive disorder, recurrent, in partial remission", and F33.42 is the full-remission code. F33.40 is used when the record says the recurrent disorder is in remission but not whether the remission is partial or full. F33.4 alone is a subcategory heading and is not billable. For a single episode, the remission codes are F32.4 (partial) and F32.5 (full).
What is the ICD-10 code for persistent depressive disorder?
F34.1. Its ICD-10-CM title is "Dysthymic disorder", and "Persistent depressive disorder" and "Dysthymia" are listed as inclusion terms under it.
Is there an ICD-10 code for depressed mood?
There is no standalone ICD-10-CM code titled "depressed mood". In the Alphabetic Index, depressed mood appears under adjustment disorder: F43.21 (adjustment disorder with depressed mood) or F43.23 (with mixed anxiety and depressed mood). Symptom codes such as R45.2 (Unhappiness) and R45.84 (Anhedonia) exist for when no diagnosis is established. R45.851 is "Suicidal ideations", not a depressed-mood code.
Does MentalNote assign ICD-10 codes?
No. MentalNote does not assign or suggest ICD-10 codes. It drafts the note from your session, includes a diagnosis or code only when you state one, and you choose, check and enter the code yourself.
Draft the note. You choose the code.
Open the fictional sample session and edit a prepared note. When you're ready, sign up free: 5 web-app scribe sessions a month, no credit card. Premium is $99/month or $990/year.
Sign up free