Major depressive disorder has two families: F32 for a single episode and F33 for recurrent episodes. The most common error is submitting F32 or F33 alone — neither is billable, because severity is carried in the fourth character. A moderate recurrent episode is F33.1; a moderate single episode is F32.1. Below: both tables in full, the F32.A trap, the CPT codes these pair with, and the DSM-5 crosswalk.
This page is billing and administrative reference. It describes what a code means and whether it can be submitted. It is not clinical advice and does not tell anyone what to diagnose.
Everything follows from this. If the record documents one episode, code from F32. If there has been a previous major depressive episode with a period of remission between them, code from F33. Recurrence cannot be inferred by a coder; the documentation has to establish it.
| Code | Title | Billable? |
|---|---|---|
| F32 | Depressive episode (category header) | No |
| F32.0 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, mild | Yes |
| F32.1 | … moderate | Yes |
| F32.2 | … severe without psychotic features | Yes |
| F32.3 | … severe with psychotic features | Yes |
| F32.4 | … in partial remission | Yes |
| F32.5 | … in full remission | Yes |
| F32.81 | Premenstrual dysphoric disorder | Yes |
| F32.89 | Other specified depressive episodes | Yes |
| F32.9 | Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified | Yes |
| F32.A | Depression, unspecified | Yes |
| Code | Title | Billable? |
|---|---|---|
| F33 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent (category header) | No |
| F33.0 | … mild | Yes |
| F33.1 | … moderate | Yes |
| F33.2 | … severe without psychotic features | Yes |
| F33.3 | … severe with psychotic symptoms | Yes |
| F33.40 | … in remission, unspecified | Yes |
| F33.41 | … in partial remission | Yes |
| F33.42 | … in full remission | Yes |
| F33.8 | Other recurrent depressive disorders | Yes |
| F33.9 | Major depressive disorder, recurrent, unspecified | Yes |
F32.A, “depression, unspecified”, is not a shortcut for major depressive disorder. It exists for documentation that records depression without establishing a major depressive episode. It is billable, so it will not bounce — which is precisely why it spreads through a chart.
If the record documents a major depressive episode, the accurate code carries a severity: F32.0 to F32.3 for a single episode, F33.0 to F33.3 for recurrent. Defaulting to F32.A, F32.9 or F33.9 understates what was assessed, and a pattern of unspecified codes is what utilization review looks for.
| CPT | Service | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 90791 | Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation (no medical services) | — |
| 90832 | Individual psychotherapy | 16–37 minutes |
| 90834 | Individual psychotherapy | 38–52 minutes |
| 90837 | Individual psychotherapy | 53 minutes or more |
| 90847 | Family psychotherapy, patient present | 50 minutes typical |
| 90853 | Group psychotherapy | — |
A 50-minute session is 90834, not 90837 — 90837 begins at 53 minutes. Prescribers billing an evaluation and management visit alongside therapy use the add-on codes 90833, 90836 or 90838 rather than a standalone psychotherapy code.
There is no separate DSM code to convert. DSM-5-TR prints the ICD-10-CM code beside each disorder, and major depressive disorder carries the same F32 and F33 codes, chosen by episode count and severity. DSM specifiers — with anxious distress, with melancholic features — do not change the base code. Peripartum onset is the exception worth knowing: where postpartum depression is the diagnosis, F53.0 applies.
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It depends on two things. A single episode codes from F32 and a recurrent one from F33, and the fourth character carries severity. Moderate recurrent major depressive disorder is F33.1; a moderate single episode is F32.1.
No. F32 and F33 are category headers and cannot be submitted alone. Severity must be coded in the fourth character — F32.0 through F32.9, or F33.0 through F33.9.
F32.9 is “major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified” — an episode was established but its severity was not documented. F32.A is “depression, unspecified”, for documentation that records depression without establishing a major depressive episode at all. Both are billable, and neither should be used when the record supports a severity.
In outpatient behavioral health: 90791 for the diagnostic evaluation, then 90832, 90834 or 90837 for individual psychotherapy depending on session length, 90847 for family therapy with the patient present, and 90853 for group.
No. DSM-5-TR lists the ICD-10-CM codes alongside its criteria, so the same F32 and F33 codes apply. DSM specifiers such as anxious distress or melancholic features do not change the code.
Check a code with Afia — freeCodes on this page were verified against the CMS ICD-10-CM code sets for FY2026 and FY2027 (FY2027 effective 1 October 2026). Last reviewed 19 September 2026. Verify against the current official code set before submitting.