ICD-10 for therapists

F43.23 — Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood

Reviewed by Albert Wong, PhD, Clinical Psychologist · Updated July 29, 2026

An identifiable stressor followed within three months by a mixture of anxious and depressive symptoms that don't meet full criteria for either primary disorder.

Code: F43.23 (ICD-10-CM)
Common CPT pairings: 90791 · 90834

Clinical picture

Use when both mood and anxiety symptoms are present and neither meets full syndrome criteria.
Common in life-transition presentations: divorce, job loss, relocation, medical diagnosis.
Monitor for evolution into full MDD or GAD; re-diagnose rather than stretch the adjustment window past six months post-stressor.

Documentation tips

Document the stressor, the timeline, and both symptom strands; note explicitly that full criteria for MDD/GAD are not met.
Brief measures (PHQ-9 + GAD-7 together) map neatly onto this presentation and evidence the sub-threshold picture.

Billing notes

Well reimbursed for short-to-medium courses of care; long treatment under an adjustment code invites review — update the diagnosis as the picture clarifies.

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This reference summarizes ICD-10-CM coding conventions and common billing practice for licensed clinicians. It is not medical, legal, or payer-specific billing advice; diagnosis requires clinical evaluation, and payer policies vary. Verify codes against the current ICD-10-CM release.