Top 10 ICD-10 Codes Every Psychiatrist Uses in 2025

How Do Psychiatrists Determine the Most Frequently Used ICD-10 Codes in Mental Health Practice?

Selecting the right diagnosis codes is critical for accurate billing, outcome tracking, and epidemiologic surveillance in psychiatry. In 2025, a core set of ICD-10 “F-codes” dominate clinical practice, reflecting the most common mental and behavioral health conditions encountered across outpatient clinics, inpatient units, and telepsychiatry platforms. These codes form the backbone of psychiatric documentation, ensuring compliance with payor requirements while supporting population health management initiatives.

Psychiatrists analyze encounter data, insurance reimbursement patterns, and evolving public health trends—such as heightened anxiety levels following global stressors—to identify which codes appear most frequently. Leveraging practice management software and analytics tools like Ahrefs and Zapier integrations, clinicians can monitor monthly code utilization rates, flag undercoded presentations, and adjust their documentation templates accordingly. This data-driven approach empowers psychiatrists to maintain coding accuracy, optimize revenue capture, and contribute to broader mental health research efforts.

 

The Top 10 Psychiatric ICD-10 Codes in 2025

 

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Category	Estimated Encounter Share
F41.1	Generalized anxiety disorder	Anxiety Disorders	18 %
F33.1	Recurrent major depressive disorder, moderate	Mood Disorders	15 %
F43.23	Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood	Stress-Related Disorders	10 %
F43.10	Post-traumatic stress disorder, unspecified	Trauma- and Stressor-Related	8 %
F32.1	Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate	Mood Disorders	9 %
F41.9	Anxiety disorder, unspecified	Anxiety Disorders	7 %
F43.22	Adjustment disorder with anxiety	Stress-Related Disorders	6 %
F90.2	Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type	Neurodevelopmental Disorders	6 %
F31.81	Bipolar II disorder	Bipolar Disorders	5 %
F20.9	Schizophrenia, unspecified	Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders	4 %

 

 

Together, these ten codes account for approximately 78% of psychiatric billing encounters in 2025, illustrating the high prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in clinical practice. Each code represents a unique clinical profile, guiding treatment decisions and shaping therapeutic approaches.

1. F41.1: Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) remains the most common anxiety presentation, characterized by excessive worry across multiple domains—work performance, finances, and interpersonal relationships. In busy outpatient practices, nearly one in five visits includes GAD as a primary or secondary diagnosis. Clinicians use structured interviews and scoring tools like GAD-7 to substantiate the diagnosis, ensuring documentation of symptom duration (at least six months) and functional impairment. Proper coding of F41.1 enables practices to track treatment outcomes over time, such as response rates to SSRIs or cognitive behavioral therapy.

2. F33.1: Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder, Moderate

Recurrent major depressive disorder affects patients with multiple prior depressive episodes. The F33.1 code signals both chronicity and moderate symptom severity—an important distinction for treatment planning. Psychiatrists document prior hospitalizations, medication trials, and remission durations, then tailor evidence-based interventions such as combination therapy with antidepressants and psychotherapy. Capturing F33.1 accurately supports risk adjustment metrics in value-based care models and informs quality reporting initiatives.

3. F43.23: Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood

Adjustment disorders account for a growing share of outpatient visits, often triggered by life changes—job loss, relationship stress, or bereavement. The mixed anxiety and depressed mood subtype requires documentation of both anxious and depressive symptoms within three months of the stressor, with resolution typically within six months of stressor cessation. Including F43.23 in notes prompts active monitoring for symptom persistence, risk of progression to major depression, and timely referrals to psychotherapy services.

4. F43.10: PTSD, Unspecified

Post-traumatic stress disorder continues to impact veterans, first responders, and survivors of traumatic events. F43.10 captures PTSD presentations lacking specification of duration or subtype. Clinicians document trauma history, intrusion symptoms, avoidance behaviors, and hyperarousal features. Coding accuracy influences access to specialized treatments—prolonged exposure, EMDR—and can trigger eligibility for military or disaster-relief programs.

5. F32.1: Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode, Moderate

For patients presenting with a first depressive episode of moderate severity, F32.1 guides clinicians toward evidence-based interventions such as antidepressant monotherapy or brief psychotherapy. Accurate documentation of symptom onset, PHQ-9 scores, and functional impairment is essential. This code’s use ensures early intervention and appropriate follow-up scheduling, reducing risk of recurrence.

6. F41.9: Anxiety Disorder, Unspecified

When anxiety symptoms do not meet criteria for a specific disorder, clinicians default to F41.9—an umbrella code that captures presentations requiring further evaluation. Including this code indicates the need for comprehensive assessment and follow-up to refine the diagnosis. Proper use of F41.9 prevents undercoding and ensures patients receive timely mental health support.

7. F43.22: Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety

This subtype emphasizes anxiety symptoms following identifiable stressors. Documentation includes details of the precipitating event, symptom timeline, and functional impairment. Coding F43.22 guides referrals to brief psychotherapeutic interventions—stress management, relaxation training—and triggers insurance coverage for short-term counseling services.

8. F90.2: ADHD, Combined Type

Adult ADHD combines inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms. Psychiatrists rely on collateral histories, standardized ADHD rating scales, and cognitive testing to confirm F90.2. Accurate coding is essential for medication management—stimulant prescriptions—and supports school or workplace accommodations. Recognition of adult ADHD has surged, leading to a 12% annual increase in F90.2 diagnoses.

9. F31.81: Bipolar II Disorder

Bipolar II—marked by hypomanic and depressive episodes—requires careful documentation of mood episode characteristics, duration, and functional impact. F31.81 signals hypomania without full mania and informs mood stabilizer selection and psychotherapy planning. Coding precision helps practices track long-term outcomes and manage suicide risk.

10. F20.9: Schizophrenia, Unspecified

Although less common in outpatient settings, schizophrenia remains a critical diagnostic category in community mental health and inpatient care. F20.9 captures presentations without subtype specification, often pending further evaluation. Accurate coding supports access to clozapine monitoring programs, assertive community treatment, and social support services.

 

Leveraging Analytics and AI to Optimize Psychiatric Coding

Just as cardiologists utilize analytics to track code utilization, psychiatrists can harness EHR-integrated dashboards to monitor monthly ICD-10 code frequencies. AI-powered documentation assistants—such as S10.AI—offer real-time code suggestions based on clinical conversations, reducing undercoding and flagging missing comorbidities. Implementing automated prompts for high-risk conditions (PTSD, bipolar disorder) ensures comprehensive documentation, enhances revenue capture, and supports data-driven quality improvement initiatives.

 

Next Steps for Psychiatrists

– Explore how analytics dashboards can track your practice’s ICD-10 code utilization in real time.
– Consider implementing AI scribe technology to automate code suggestions and improve documentation accuracy.
– Learn more about evidence-based coding practices for mood and anxiety disorders through professional societies like the APA and AAPC.