Family history of mental and behavioral disorders (Z81)

The ICD-10 code Z81 series is used to document the personal family history of various mental and behavioral disorders. These codes help healthcare professionals track inherited risks or family trends related to intellectual disabilities, substance abuse, and other psychiatric conditions.

The general code Z81 represents a family history of mental and behavioral disorders without further specification. More specific codes clarify the type of family history: for example, Z81.0 covers intellectual disabilities, also known as learning disabilities, which include a family history such as a father or other relatives with intellectual impairment. Z81.1 addresses a family history of alcohol abuse and dependence, encompassing terms like alcoholism, substance abuse, and parental alcohol problems. Tobacco dependence in the family, indicated by phrases such as “father smokes” or “maternal tobacco abuse,” is coded as Z81.2. Other psychoactive substances and non-alcohol, non-tobacco substance abuse histories in family members fall under Z81.3 and Z81.4. Lastly, Z81.8 captures a broad range of other mental health family histories, including depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, autism, and eating disorders. Understanding these distinctions aids accurate coding for patient records and risk assessment, making the ICD-10 code for family history of mental and behavioral disorders a valuable tool in clinical practice.