Find information on Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder) diagnosis, including clinical documentation, ICD-10-CM code (F40.10), DSM-5 criteria, differential diagnosis, and treatment options. This resource provides guidance for healthcare professionals on proper coding and documentation for Social Anxiety Disorder in medical records, supporting accurate billing and improved patient care. Learn about assessment, symptom identification, and best practices for managing Social Phobia in clinical settings.
Also known as
Social Anxiety Disorder
Fear of social situations with possible panic attacks.
Neurotic, stress-related disorders
Disorders characterized by anxiety, phobias, and stress reactions.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Excessive worry and anxiety about various events or activities.
Follow this step-by-step guide to choose the correct ICD-10 code.
Is the fear specific to social situations?
Yes
Performance only?
No
Is there another anxiety disorder?
When to use each related code
| Description |
|---|
| Fear of social scrutiny |
| Avoidant Personality Disorder |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder |
Using unspecified codes (e.g., F40.9) when a more specific social phobia diagnosis (e.g., performance only) is documented, leading to inaccurate severity reflection and reimbursement.
Failing to code co-existing conditions like depression or generalized anxiety alongside social phobia, impacting treatment plans and case mix index.
Incorrectly coding social phobia when symptoms align better with avoidant personality disorder or agoraphobia, leading to coding errors and skewed data.
Patient presents with symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), ICD-10-CM code F40.10. The patient reports a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations where they anticipate being scrutinized by others. This social anxiety manifests as fear of negative evaluation, humiliation, or embarrassment. The patient experiences significant distress and impairment in social functioning, occupational performance, and or other important areas of life due to this fear. The patient acknowledges that their fear is excessive or unreasonable in the context of the actual threat posed by the social situation. Exposure to feared social situations invariably provokes anxiety, which may take the form of a situational panic attack. The patient avoids feared social situations or endures them with intense anxiety or distress. The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation significantly interferes with the patient's normal routine, occupational or academic functioning, or social activities or relationships. Differential diagnosis considerations include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and avoidant personality disorder. The patient's symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition. Treatment plan includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focusing on exposure therapy and social skills training. Pharmacological intervention with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) is being considered. Patient education regarding social anxiety disorder, its course, and treatment options has been provided. Follow-up scheduled in two weeks to assess treatment response and make adjustments as needed. The patient's prognosis is generally favorable with appropriate and consistent treatment.