2026 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code F32

Specific Coding Applicable to Depressive episode

Non-specific codes like F32 require more digits to indicate the appropriate level of specificity. Consider using any of the following ICD-10-CM codes with a higher level of specificity when coding for depressive episode:

Patient Education

Depression

What is depression?

Depression is more than a feeling of being sad or irritable for a few days. It's a serious mood disorder. As one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, depression can affect how you think, feel, and your everyday life. You may not know why you feel this way, but even basic daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or working may become difficult. Depression often needs long-term treatment but getting help at the earliest sign of a problem can help manage your symptoms.

What are the different types of depression?

The most common types of depression are major depression and persistent depressive disorder.

• Major depression symptoms include a depressed mood or a loss of interest. Symptoms affect your daily activities and last for at least two weeks.
• Persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia or dysthymic disorder) has less severe depressive symptoms, but they last longer, usually for at least two years.

Other types of depression can include:

• Seasonal affective disorder comes and goes with the seasons. It usually starts in late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer.
• Bipolar disorder is sometimes called manic depression. This mood disorder can cause intense mood swings.
• Depression with symptoms of psychosis is a severe form of depression that also has delusions (false beliefs) or hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling something that isn't there).

What causes depression?

There are a variety of things that may cause depression, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Depression can happen at any age and can affect anyone, but it's more common in women. This is often due to the physical and hormonal changes that women have during menstruation, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and menopause. Other mental disorders or chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease may occur with depression. This may make the chronic condition or depression worse.

In some cases, there is no clear cause for depression.

Who is at risk of depression?

You may be at a higher risk of depression if you have a close relative who has it or another mental health disorder. Going through trauma or stressful life events may raise your risk even more.

What are the symptoms of depression?

Depression doesn't look the same on everyone. The type and number of symptoms of depression can vary and don't always appear like sadness. Depression may affect you differently based on your:

• Age. The symptoms of depression may be different in a child, who may appear more irritable than sad. Teens may act out or have excessive sleepiness. The symptoms for an older adult may not be as obvious as other age groups.
• Sex. Men often show symptoms and coping behaviors differently than women. Rather than sad, men may appear angry or irritable.
• Medical conditions. Some medicines and medical conditions may cause symptoms that look like depression. Chronic conditions may make depression worse.

Symptoms of depression are ongoing and affect your day-to-day life. They can include:

• Feeling sad or "empty"
• Losing interest in favorite activities
• Overeating, or not wanting to eat at all
• Sleeping too much, or not enough
• Feeling very tired
• Feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
• Having aches and pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
• Having thoughts of death or suicide
• Changing moods or behaviors
• Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
• Isolating from family and friends

How is depression diagnosed?

If you think you have depression, talk to your health care provider or a mental health provider. To be diagnosed with depression, your provider may use many tools:

• A medical history will include asking about your symptoms and family history. To be diagnosed with depression, your symptoms must occur most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. One of the symptoms must be a depressed mood or a loss of interest in most activities.
• Medical tests may be done to rule out other medical conditions. Certain medicines and medical conditions (such as viruses or thyroid disorders) may cause symptoms like depression.
• A physical exam to make sure another issue isn't causing your symptoms.
• A mental health evaluation by your provider or a mental health provider.

What are the treatments for depression?

Depression may need long-term treatment. Most treatments include medicines and/or psychotherapy (talk therapy):

• Medicines such as antidepressants may help control your symptoms. You may need to try several medicines to find which works best for you. Medicine may take time to work and can have side effects. Don't stop taking your medicine without first talking with your provider. Contact your provider if you have any concerns about side effects from the medicine.
• Psychotherapy (talk therapy) under the care of a mental health provider can help you recognize and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. This may be done one-on-one or in a group setting. It can give you and your family support, education, skills, and coping strategies.
• Light therapy has been shown to be effective for seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
• Other treatments options may be considered if treatment isn't working or if depression is severe. These may include:
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a brain stimulation procedure that uses a mild electric current when you are under general anesthesia. ECT is most often used for severe depression that is not getting better with other treatments.
  • Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a brain stimulation procedure that uses magnetic waves to relieve depression. It's not as powerful as ECT, but with rTMS, you don't need anesthesia. It also has a low risk of negative effects on your memory and thinking.

Can depression be prevented?

Most cases of depression can't be prevented, but healthy lifestyle changes can have long-term benefits for your mental health. These can include:

• Getting regular exercise
• Having a consistent sleep schedule
• Controlling stress

If you, or someone you love is depressed, see your provider or a mental health provider. It's important to get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem.

If you or someone you know has thoughts of hurting themselves or attempting suicide, get help right away. If it is an emergency, dial 911.

NIH: National Institute of Mental Health

Depression

Depression (also known as major depression or major depressive disorder) is a psychiatric disorder that affects mood, behavior, and overall health. It causes prolonged feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed. People with depression may also have changes in appetite (leading to overeating or not eating enough), changes in sleeping patterns (sleeping too much or not being able to sleep), loss of energy, and difficulty concentrating. Although depression is considered primarily a mental health disorder, it can also have physical features including headaches, other unexplained aches and pains, unusually slow or fast movements, and digestive problems. To be diagnosed with depression, an individual must have signs and symptoms nearly every day for at least 2 weeks. However, the features of this condition vary widely.

Depression most commonly begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, although it can appear at any age. If untreated, episodes of depression can last for weeks, months, or years, and can go away and come back (recur). Affected individuals may have difficulty functioning in their daily lives, including at school or work. People with depression have a higher risk of substance abuse problems and dying by suicide than the general population.

Several health conditions are closely related to depression or have depression as a characteristic feature. These include dysthymia (which has long-lasting signs and symptoms that are similar to, but not as severe as, those of depression), perinatal or postpartum depression (which occurs around or following the birth of a child), seasonal affective disorder (which is triggered by the changing of the seasons), bipolar disorder (which can include both "highs," or manic episodes, and depressive episodes), and generalized anxiety disorder. In people with schizoaffective disorder, depression or another mood disorder occurs together with features of schizophrenia (a brain disorder that affects a person's thinking, sense of self, and perceptions).

Code History

• FY 2026 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026
• FY 2025 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025
• FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
• FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
• FY 2022 - Code Updated, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
• New Description: Depressive episode
• Previous Description: Depressive episode
• FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
• FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
• FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
• FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
• FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
• FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.