Icd 10 code for adjustment disorder with depressed mood

Are you experiencing uncomfortable emotions after a stressful event? If so, it’s natural to feel that way, at least for a while. But what if the feeling seems overwhelming or continues after you think it should be over? In that case, you might have an adjustment disorder with depressed mood. Here’s what the ICD 10 has to say about this condition and what you can do about it.

Coping After A Significant Life-Changing Event Is Possible

Definition Of Adjustment Disorder

Adjustment disorders are a group of conditions that happen after a stressful life event. What makes these disorders unique is that if you have one, you’re having trouble coping with the event or its aftermath. And you’re having a stronger reaction than expected for the type of event that happened.

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10) is a diagnostic tool that doctors and psychologists use to help them assess whether you have a condition. The ICD 10 outlines several criteria that must be present before you will receive a diagnosis of adjustment disorder:

  • It’s clear that the symptoms come after a stressful life event, usually within three months of it.
  • The severity of the symptoms is greater than would be expected under the circumstances.
  • You don’t have another disorder that’s causing the symptoms.
  • You aren’t going through the normal grieving process after a loved one has died.

Events That Trigger the Disorder

Many different types of events can trigger this reaction. A few examples include divorce or relationship problems, illness in yourself or a loved one, moving to a different location, or financial worries. In fact, any major stressors, unexpected catastrophes, or significant life changes can be at the root of these disorders. The death of a loved one can also precipitate this type of disorder, in some cases.

Teenagers and young adults may have the same triggers, but they also may be triggered by events and challenges that are common during the growing-up years. These include family conflicts, problems at school, and issues surrounding their sexuality.

Symptoms

Each of the adjustment disorders has different symptoms. The depressed type specifically has symptoms related to mood. So, what is the term mood? Your mood includes your feelings and the signs that reflect those feelings. In the case of the depressed mood type, these symptoms include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, tearfulness, and an inability to find pleasure in things you once enjoyed.

Other Adjustment Disorders

As mentioned above, this is a group of disorders. The one with a depressed mood may be what you’re experiencing if you’re feeling sad. Other related disorders include:

With anxiety: This variation has symptoms like nervousness, excessive worry, trouble concentrating, and feeling overwhelmed.

With mixed anxiety and depressed mood: If you’re not only feeling sad but also worried and overwhelmed, you might have this type of disorder.

With a disturbance of conduct: If you have this type of adjustment disorder, you might fight, drive recklessly, or if your child has it, they may vandalize homes or businesses or skip school.

Unspecified: This type includes all adjustment disorders which don’t exactly fit any of the types above. You may have physical problems, difficulty in close relationships with family and friends, or trouble at work or school.

What About Other Mental Health Disorders?

There’s a possibility that you might have one of many other mental disorders that could bring on similar symptoms. Even though you might have experienced a truly stressful event in the last three months, these signs might come up for another reason besides adjustment disorder.

A doctor or psychologist who oversees the diagnosis will usually explore other types of disorders that might be behind your symptoms. And, if you already know you have another mental health problem, telling them at the start of your meeting with them is a good idea. Then, they can render a more accurate diagnosis.

Could My Sadness Just Be Normal Grieving?

Sometimes it’s difficult even for a mental health professional to immediately discern the source of your depressed mood. Certainly, grieving the loss of someone close to you can bring on sadness and other symptoms similar to adjustment disorder. The most important things your psychologist will consider are:

Coping After A Significant Life-Changing Event Is Possible

  1. How long has it been since the stressful event happened (or you found out about it)?
  2. When did you start feeling overwhelmed?
  3. Is your reaction out of proportion to the loss?
  4. How long has the sadness lasted?

Of course, normal grief reactions are not a mental disorder. Because of this, some researchers have suggested that more should be done to avoid viewing grief as a disease. Research showed that outcomes of depressed symptoms related to uncomplicated grief don’t typically have the same results as those that aren’t associated with major depression. For example, suicide attempts, duration, the need to be hospitalized, and other symptoms of major depressive disorder are much less common or severe in normal grief reactions that include depressive symptoms.

Thus, the fact that you’re grieving doesn’t necessarily mean you have an adjustment disorder. However, if you are having trouble dealing with it, you can talk to a therapist or doctor to find out and to get the help you need.

How Long Will This Last?

Going through a depressed mood is far from pleasant. You may be wondering, “When will this ever end?” It’s a natural response to such a painful condition. The answer depends on many factors, but basically, there are two ways this could go.

Acute

If your disorder is acute, that means it won’t last an extremely long time. Usually, people recover from the acute version within six months of the time the stressor ended. For example, if you went through a painful divorce, the symptoms of this disorder should go away in six months or less after the divorce was over.

Chronic

For some people, the symptoms will last much longer. If you have a chronic disorder, you would still be experiencing symptoms more than six months after the stressor was gone. The symptoms would still be upsetting to you, and they would disrupt your life in many ways. If you’ve been having symptoms for long enough for the condition to be considered chronic, a psychologist can help you develop strategies to overcome it and provide support along the way.

If you go for treatment early, your psychologist might not be able to tell right away whether your condition is acute or chronic. However, many people benefit from getting into treatment as soon as possible. Then they can manage their symptoms and deal with a problem without delay.

How Can Treatment Help?

Often, people who have adjustment disorders with depressed mood find that treatment benefits them in several ways. It helps them deal with the symptoms, offers compassionate support at a time they need it most, and gives them tools for looking at their problems differently.

Diagnosis

Before your psychologist writes up a treatment plan, they will take time to learn about you, your recent life stressors, and the mental health problems you’re facing. Diagnosing yourself could lead you to experience it longer. But when you leave the diagnosis in the hands of a professional, you have a clearer idea of what is happening, what you can expect, and how treatment might help.

Psychotherapy

The primary treatment for adjustment disorder is psychotherapy. This treatment is a type of therapy in which you talk to your counselor about what is going on in your life and how you’re dealing with it. Depending on your situation, you might choose individual, family, or group therapy.

Your counselor can help you with the depressed mood in several ways. Right away, they begin providing emotional support. As therapy progresses, they help you determine and understand why the stressful event was so hard for you to bear. They might also teach you coping skills and stress-management techniques so you can deal with stressful events more effectively. And if your schedule has been disrupted due to your mental health issues, they can help you get back on a regular daily routine.

How Long Will Treatment Last?

You might be curious about how long treatment for adjustment disorder usually takes. It’s certainly a reasonable question to ask. However, there’s no one set-in-stone answer. If your disorder is acute, treatment may only last a very brief time. However, if your symptoms have been going on a long time or continue to persist, you might benefit from a more extended treatment period.

What You Can Do for Yourself

You can also help yourself in several ways. For nearly any mental health problem, taking care of your physical health is an excellent first step, so be sure you’re eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising every day.

Consider creating a daily schedule if you need to add structure to your days. Spend time with friends and family and think about asking someone you trust for emotional support.

You can also explore stress-reduction techniques on your own. Examples include mindfulness meditation, yoga, and systematic muscle relaxation. In therapy, your counselor can teach you many of these techniques and be with you as you begin to practice them.

Where To Get Help

Have you decided to look for a mental health counselor to guide you through this trying time? The next question you might ask is, “Where should I go for help?” The answer is entirely up to you. You might choose to see a local therapist. Or, a local grief counselor may be able to help you if your problem is not an adjustment disorder or other mental health disorder. Many people find comfort in knowing that their counselor is just down the road from them, and they have no trouble fitting appointments and the local travel involved in their schedule.

Other people prefer to connect with a counselor from their own home or wherever they happen to be. They enjoy the fact that online counseling is very affordable and gives them more privacy and freedom. At BetterHelp, you can find online counselors who can help you deal with and overcome adjustment disorder with depressed mood and other mental health problems.

No matter what decision you make, getting the help you need may be the beginning of a new and better era in your life.

Commonly Asked Questions Below:

What is ICD-10 code for adjustment disorder?
What is F43 20 adjustment disorder?
What is the ICD-10 diagnosis code for adjustment disorder with anxiety?
What is the ICD-10 code for adjustment disorder with depressed mood?
What is DSM 5 code for adjustment disorder?
What is the DSM 5 code for adjustment disorder with depression?

What is adjustment disorder with depressed mood F43 21?

An adjustment disorder with depressed mood means that you feel hopeless and sadder than would be expected after a stressful event. Many kinds of events can cause stress, such as moving, changing schools or jobs, marriage, the birth of a child, the loss of a relationship, or a severe illness.

What is the code for adjustment disorder with depression?

ICD-10 code F43. 21 for Adjustment disorder with depressed mood is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders .

Can you have adjustment disorder and depression at the same time?

Adjustment disorder can be present with anxiety, depressed mood, disturbance of emotions and conduct, or combinations of these conditions. A child and adolescent psychiatrist or qualified mental health professional can diagnose adjustment disorder.

What does diagnosis code F43 23 mean?

F43. 23 Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety & Depressed Mood: A combination of depression and anxiety is predominant.