What is ICD-10 code F39?

F39 is the ICD-10-CM code for Unspecified mood [affective] disorder. It closes the F30 to F39 block (Mood [affective] disorders). The FY2027 tabular list includes "Affective psychosis NOS" under it, and in the Alphabetic Index "Disorder, mood" with no further detail points to F39.

Is F39 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes, F39 is a billable code in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM code set (effective October 1, 2026). It is a three-character code with no subdivisions.

When should F39 be used?

The American Psychiatric Association describes unspecified mood disorder as a category for presentations with mood symptoms that do not meet criteria for any specific bipolar or depressive disorder, and where it is difficult to choose between unspecified bipolar disorder and unspecified depressive disorder. The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines add that unspecified codes are for when the record is insufficient to assign a more specific code.

Is unspecified mood disorder in DSM-5-TR?

Yes. Unspecified mood disorder was dropped from DSM-5 in 2013 as an unintended result of splitting the mood disorders class into separate bipolar and depressive chapters. The APA restored it in DSM-5-TR (2022), noting that the change also brings DSM-5-TR closer to ICD-10-CM and ICD-11, which both include the category.

What is the difference between F39 and F32.A?

F32.A (Depression, unspecified) is for depression documented without enough detail for a specific depressive code. F39 is for mood symptoms where it is not yet clear whether the presentation is depressive or bipolar, for example low mood with some features suggestive of hypomania that fall short of criteria.

What is the difference between F39 and F31.9?

F31.9 (Bipolar disorder, unspecified) records a bipolar disorder whose type or current episode is not documented. F39 is used before the record establishes whether the disorder is bipolar at all.

What scales are used when F39 is coded?

Pair a depression measure with a bipolar screen. The PHQ-9 tracks depressive symptom severity; in its validation study, a score of 10 or higher had 88% sensitivity and 88% specificity for major depression (Kroenke et al., 2001). The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) screens for lifetime manic or hypomanic symptoms. Scores support, but do not make, the diagnosis.

What should be ruled out before coding F39?

Mood symptoms can be caused by a medical condition (F06.3-) or by alcohol and other substances (the F10 to F19 codes with .14, .24, or .94); category F06.3 has an Excludes2 note pointing the other way, to F30 to F39, for mood disorders that are not due to a physiological condition. Ask about substance use, medications, and medical history before settling on F39.

Can a client stay on F39 long term?

The guidelines ask that each encounter be coded to the level of certainty known at that encounter. F39 is appropriate while the type of mood disorder is unclear, but as history and repeated measurement add detail, the record should support a specific depressive or bipolar code. Documenting why the type is still unclear keeps the code choice defensible.

F39ICD-10-CMUnspecified Mood Disorder

Official ICD-10-CM descriptor: Unspecified mood [affective] disorder · Category header, not billable: use a more specific code

Clinically significant mood symptoms that do not meet criteria for a specific mood disorder, where it is not yet clear whether the presentation is depressive or bipolar.

F39 at a glance

ICD-10-CM F39
Mood
Category header, not billable: use a more specific code
Recommended screener
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
View scale
Billing the screening
In the US, administering and scoring the scale usually bills under CPT 96127; the session itself under 90791 or 90834/90837. Coverage varies by payer.

DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria summary

F39 is a residual code rather than a criteria set of its own. It is used when:

Mood symptoms are clinically significant, causing distress or impairment.
No specific mood disorder can be established: criteria are not met for a depressive disorder such as major depressive disorder (F32.-, F33.-) or a bipolar disorder (F31.-).
It is difficult to choose between unspecified depressive disorder and unspecified bipolar disorder.
Other causes have been considered, including mood disorder due to a medical condition (F06.3-) and substance-induced mood disorder.

The American Psychiatric Association restored unspecified mood disorder in DSM-5-TR (2022) and lists it in both the bipolar and the depressive disorders chapters. The FY2027 ICD-10-CM tabular list includes "Affective psychosis NOS" under F39, and the Alphabetic Index sends "Disorder, mood" and "Episode, affective, mixed" to F39.

Source: American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Unspecified mood disorder (DSM-5-TR fact sheet); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / National Center for Health Statistics. ICD-10-CM Tabular List, Alphabetic Index, and Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY2027, Sections I.A.9 and I.B.18.

Differential diagnosis

Depression, Unspecified (F32.A), when the presentation is clearly depressive but its type is not yet established.
Bipolar Disorder, Unspecified (F31.9), when a bipolar disorder is established but its current episode is not documented.
Bipolar I (F31.-) and Bipolar II (F31.81), when criteria for mania or hypomania are met.
Major Depressive Disorder (F32.-, F33.-), when criteria for a major depressive episode are met with no history of mania or hypomania.
Cyclothymic Disorder (F34.0) and Persistent Depressive Disorder (F34.1), long-standing mood symptoms.
Mood Disorder Due to Known Physiological Condition (F06.3-) and substance-induced mood disorders.

Common comorbidities

Mood symptoms often appear alongside anxiety, substance use, and attention problems. Screen for anxiety with the GAD-7, for alcohol use with the AUDIT, and for suicide risk, and code each condition that meets criteria.

Documentation patterns

Initial visit: PHQ-9 and MDQ results, the mood symptoms observed, any history suggestive of mania or hypomania, what has been ruled out (medical, substance), and why a specific mood disorder cannot yet be named.
Follow-up visits: re-administer the PHQ-9, record new history (episode pattern, collateral reports), and move to a specific depressive or bipolar code once the record supports one.

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Frequently asked questions

What is ICD-10 code F39?
F39 is the ICD-10-CM code for Unspecified mood [affective] disorder. It closes the F30 to F39 block (Mood [affective] disorders). The FY2027 tabular list includes "Affective psychosis NOS" under it, and in the Alphabetic Index "Disorder, mood" with no further detail points to F39.
Is F39 a billable ICD-10-CM code?
Yes, F39 is a billable code in the FY2027 ICD-10-CM code set (effective October 1, 2026). It is a three-character code with no subdivisions.
When should F39 be used?
The American Psychiatric Association describes unspecified mood disorder as a category for presentations with mood symptoms that do not meet criteria for any specific bipolar or depressive disorder, and where it is difficult to choose between unspecified bipolar disorder and unspecified depressive disorder. The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines add that unspecified codes are for when the record is insufficient to assign a more specific code.
Is unspecified mood disorder in DSM-5-TR?
Yes. Unspecified mood disorder was dropped from DSM-5 in 2013 as an unintended result of splitting the mood disorders class into separate bipolar and depressive chapters. The APA restored it in DSM-5-TR (2022), noting that the change also brings DSM-5-TR closer to ICD-10-CM and ICD-11, which both include the category.
What is the difference between F39 and F32.A?
F32.A (Depression, unspecified) is for depression documented without enough detail for a specific depressive code. F39 is for mood symptoms where it is not yet clear whether the presentation is depressive or bipolar, for example low mood with some features suggestive of hypomania that fall short of criteria.
What is the difference between F39 and F31.9?
F31.9 (Bipolar disorder, unspecified) records a bipolar disorder whose type or current episode is not documented. F39 is used before the record establishes whether the disorder is bipolar at all.
What scales are used when F39 is coded?
Pair a depression measure with a bipolar screen. The PHQ-9 tracks depressive symptom severity; in its validation study, a score of 10 or higher had 88% sensitivity and 88% specificity for major depression (Kroenke et al., 2001). The Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) screens for lifetime manic or hypomanic symptoms. Scores support, but do not make, the diagnosis.
What should be ruled out before coding F39?
Mood symptoms can be caused by a medical condition (F06.3-) or by alcohol and other substances (the F10 to F19 codes with .14, .24, or .94); category F06.3 has an Excludes2 note pointing the other way, to F30 to F39, for mood disorders that are not due to a physiological condition. Ask about substance use, medications, and medical history before settling on F39.
Can a client stay on F39 long term?
The guidelines ask that each encounter be coded to the level of certainty known at that encounter. F39 is appropriate while the type of mood disorder is unclear, but as history and repeated measurement add detail, the record should support a specific depressive or bipolar code. Documenting why the type is still unclear keeps the code choice defensible.

Sources

1. 1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). ICD-10-CM Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries, FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026).
2. 2.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, FY2027, Sections I.A.9 and I.B.18.
1. 3.American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Unspecified mood disorder DSM-5-TR fact sheet.
2. 4.Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. W. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613.