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F39
ICD-10-CM
Mood Disorder

Find comprehensive information on Mood Disorder diagnosis, including clinical documentation, medical coding (ICD-10, DSM-5), and healthcare guidelines. Learn about bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, and other mood disorder classifications, symptoms, and treatment options. This resource offers support for healthcare professionals in accurate diagnosis, coding, and documentation of mood disorders for optimal patient care.

Also known as

Affective Disorder
Emotional Disorder

Diagnosis Snapshot

Key Facts
  • Definition : Persistent sadness, emptiness, or irritability affecting daily life.
  • Clinical Signs : Depressed mood, loss of interest, sleep changes, fatigue, difficulty concentrating.
  • Common Settings : Primary care, outpatient clinics, mental health centers, telehealth platforms.

Related ICD-10 Code Ranges

Complete code families applicable to AAPC F39 Coding
F30-F39

Mood [Affective] Disorders

Covers a wide range of mood disturbances, including mania and depression.

F06.3

Organic mood [affective] disorder

Mood disorders demonstrably caused by organic brain damage/disease.

F43.2

Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood

Mood disturbance following identifiable stressor, featuring both anxiety and depression.

Code-Specific Guidance

Decision Tree for

Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.

Is the mood disorder due to a medical condition?

  • Yes

    Specify the medical condition.

  • No

    Is it substance/medication induced?

Code Comparison

Related Codes Comparison

When to use each related code

Description
Depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure.
Chronic, fluctuating mood disturbance.
Elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with increased energy.

Documentation Best Practices

Documentation Checklist
  • Mood disorder diagnosis documentation checklist
  • ICD-10 code F30-F39: Document symptom duration, frequency, severity.
  • DSM-5 criteria: Specific symptoms impacting social/occupational function.
  • Differential diagnosis: Rule out medical causes, substance use, other disorders.
  • Treatment plan: Document medication, therapy, patient education, follow-up.

Coding and Audit Risks

Common Risks
  • Unspecified Mood Disorder

    Coding F39 (Unspecified Mood Disorder) when a more specific diagnosis is documented leads to inaccurate severity and resource utilization tracking.

  • Major Depressive vs Bipolar

    Miscoding major depressive disorder (F32) as bipolar disorder (F31) or vice versa impacts treatment and payment, creating compliance issues.

  • Episode vs Disorder Coding

    Incorrectly coding a single mood episode (e.g., F32.9) instead of the recurring disorder (e.g., F33.x) affects data integrity for quality reporting and research.

Mitigation Tips

Best Practices
  • ICD-10 accurate mood disorder codes: F30-F39
  • Document symptom duration, frequency, severity for CDI
  • Assess functional impairment, impact on daily life
  • Differential diagnosis rules out medical causes
  • Standardized assessments improve diagnostic accuracy, compliance

Clinical Decision Support

Checklist
  • Depressed mood: Observe/document duration, severity (ICD-10 F32.x, F33.x)
  • Anhedonia/loss of interest: Assess impact on daily life, document specifics
  • Other symptoms: Appetite/sleep changes, fatigue, impaired concentration (F3x.x)
  • Rule out medical causes: Thyroid, medications, substance use (Document clearly)
  • Suicidal ideation: Assess risk, document plan/intent, ensure safety (F3x.x)

Reimbursement and Quality Metrics

Impact Summary
  • Mood disorder diagnosis coding impacts reimbursement through accurate reflection of severity for appropriate MS-DRG assignment.
  • Coding quality directly affects hospital case mix index and national quality reporting programs like HEDIS and PQRS.
  • Proper mood disorder coding ensures accurate risk adjustment and optimized reimbursement under value-based care models.
  • Accurate and specific documentation of mood disorders is crucial for medical billing compliance and avoids claim denials.

Streamline Your Medical Coding

Let S10.AI help you select the most accurate ICD-10 codes for . Our AI-powered assistant ensures compliance and reduces coding errors.

Quick Tips

Practical Coding Tips
  • Document symptom duration
  • Specify episode type
  • Code primary mood
  • Rule out medical causes
  • Consider comorbidities

Documentation Templates

Patient presents with symptoms consistent with a Mood Disorder, specifically [Specify Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia), Cyclothymic Disorder, or other specified mood disorder].  Differential diagnosis includes consideration of medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, substance use disorders, and other psychiatric diagnoses including anxiety disorders and personality disorders.  Patient reports [Specific symptoms e.g., depressed mood, anhedonia, irritability, labile affect, sleep disturbance, fatigue, changes in appetite or weight, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, psychomotor agitation or retardation, suicidal ideation with or without plan].  Symptom onset reported as [Date or timeframe].  Severity of symptoms is impacting [Areas of functioning e.g., occupational, social, interpersonal].  Family history is significant for [Relevant family history of mood disorders or other mental health conditions].  Current medications include [List current medications].  Allergies include [List allergies].  Mental status examination reveals [Objective findings e.g., affect, mood, thought process, thought content, insight, judgment].  Patient denies [Pertinent negatives e.g., hallucinations, delusions].  Based on the clinical interview, presenting symptoms, and diagnostic criteria as per the DSM-5, the diagnosis of [Specific Mood Disorder] is made.  Treatment plan includes [Psychotherapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT),  pharmacotherapy including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics as indicated, patient education regarding mood disorder management, referral to psychiatrist for medication management as needed, and close monitoring of symptoms and response to treatment].  Patient education regarding medication side effects, potential drug interactions, and importance of adherence was provided.  Risks and benefits of treatment options were discussed.  Follow-up appointment scheduled for [Date] to assess treatment response and adjust plan as necessary.  Prognosis discussed with patient.  Coding considerations include [Relevant ICD-10 codes e.g., F32, F31, F33, F34.1]. Medical billing for this encounter will include [Relevant CPT codes e.g., 99214, 90837, 90840] depending on the complexity of the visit.

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