F32.1 diagnosis code at a glance
F32.1 | |
|---|---|
Official description | Major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate |
Billable | Yes, in the FY2027 code set (effective October 1, 2026) |
Category | F32, Depressive episode, a header |
Block | F30-F39, Mood [affective] disorders |
Index paths | Disorder, depressive, major, single episode, moderate; Episode, depressive, major, moderate |
Excludes1 (category F32) | Bipolar disorder (F31.-), manic episode (F30.-), recurrent depressive disorder (F33.-) |
Excludes2 (category F32) | Adjustment disorder (F43.2-) |
Changed in FY2027 | No |
F32.1 vs F32.0, F32.2, F32.9 and F33.1
Two facts pick the code: is this the first episode, and how severe is it now. F32.1 needs both in the record. Leave severity out and the index stops at F32.9. Mention an earlier episode and the code belongs in F33.
What the clinician documented | Code |
|---|---|
First episode, mild | F32.0 |
First episode, moderate | F32.1 |
First episode, severe, no psychotic features | F32.2 |
First episode, severe, with psychotic features | F32.3 |
First episode, severity not stated | F32.9 |
Earlier episode on record, current one moderate | F33.1 |
First episode, now in partial remission | F32.4 |
First episode, now in full remission | F32.5 |
Related pages: F32.9, F32.A, F33.0, F33.1, F33.2 and F34.1.
Agitated and postpartum depression: where they code
Some descriptive words move the code without anyone meaning them to. "Depression, agitated (single episode)" indexes to F32.2, the severe code, not F32.1. If you write "agitated depression" for a client you'd rate as moderate, a coder working from the index will pick F32.2. Describe the agitation as a symptom and state the severity separately.
"Postpartum depression" and "postnatal depression" index to F53.0, postpartum depression, in the chapter for disorders associated with the puerperium. So a first moderate episode that began after delivery, written as postpartum depression, codes to F53.0 rather than F32.1. Pregnancy‑related coding has its own sequencing rules, so check the Official Guidelines before you add other codes.
Category F32 also lists, as includes, single episodes of psychogenic and reactive depression. Neither phrase indexes to F32.1. Both go to F32.9, the code with no severity. The fix is the same each time: write major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate.
What to document for F32.1
- No earlier major depressive episodes, stated as asked and answered.
- When this episode started.
- The symptoms, and why they add up to moderate rather than mild or severe.
- What the client can and can't do right now at work, school or home.
- No history of mania or hypomania.
- A suicide risk screen and its result, and a dated PHQ-9 if you use one.
Example, fictional client. Client, 26, second‑year graduate student, first visit. Low mood and loss of interest since about mid‑August, sleeping ten hours and still tired, missed four seminars. No previous depressive episodes; no periods of elevated mood. Still sees his partner and is keeping a part‑time lab job. PHQ‑9 is 14, item 9 scored 0, denies thoughts of self‑harm. Assessment: major depressive disorder, single episode, moderate (F32.1). Plan: weekly CBT, referral to student health for a medication evaluation, PHQ‑9 at every fourth session.
For the risk screen, the mental health risk assessment template lays out what to record.
Billing F32.1
CPT code | Common use with F32.1 |
|---|---|
90791 | Diagnostic evaluation where the episode is first assessed |
90832, 90837 | Individual psychotherapy, picked by the time spent |
90833 | Psychotherapy added on to a prescriber's medication visit |
96127 | Repeat PHQ-9 or another brief scored measure |
Code pages: 90791, 90832, 90837, 90833 and 96127.
CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. CPT codes copyright 2026 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Common mistakes with F32.1
- "Agitated depression" for a moderate episode. The index sends that phrase to F32.2.
- F32.1 for a second episode. Any earlier major depressive episode moves the code to F33.1.
- Keeping F32.1 after recovery. Partial remission is F32.4; full remission is F32.5.
- F32.1 with an F33 code. The F32 Excludes1 note rules out reporting them together.
- No severity reasoning. "Moderate" without the symptoms and impairment behind it is hard to defend in a review.
AI‑drafted notes can blur severity words. If Twofold or another scribe writes your assessment, read the severity line and the episode history before you sign.
Checked against the FY2027 ICD‑10‑CM code set from CMS on October 19, 2026. F32.1 did not change this year.