F43.24

Billable

Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct

HCC Category Mapping

RxHCCHCC 133 — Personality Disorders, Anxiety, and Other Specified Mental Disorders

0.000

What This Code Means

This condition occurs when a person experiences emotional stress in response to a specific life event or change, and responds by acting out or behaving in ways that violate social norms or the rights of others. The behavioral problems develop within three months of the stressful event and are more severe than would normally be expected.

Coding Tips

•Ensure documentation clearly identifies the specific stressor or triggering life event (such as job loss, relationship problems, or relocation) to support medical necessity
•Verify that the disturbance of conduct is the primary manifestation; if anxiety or depression is more prominent, consider alternative F43 codes like F43.21 or F43.22

Clinical Significance

Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct represents a reactive behavioral disturbance in response to an identifiable stressor, manifesting primarily as conduct problems such as aggression, reckless behavior, truancy, or rule-breaking. This subtype is more common in adolescents and young adults and should be distinguished from conduct disorder, which is a more pervasive behavioral pattern.

Documentation Requirements

✓Identifiable stressor documented
✓Behavioral disturbance as the predominant symptom (aggression, rule-breaking, truancy, vandalism, reckless driving, etc.)
✓Temporal relationship between stressor and behavioral changes
✓Behavior does not meet criteria for conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder
✓Functional impairment including legal, academic, or occupational consequences
✓Current treatment plan addressing behavioral issues

Commonly Confused Codes

F91.1 (Conduct disorder, childhood-onset type) — Conduct disorder is a persistent pattern not reactive to a stressor; adjustment disorder is time-limited and reactive F43.25 (Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct) — Use F43.24 when conduct disturbance is primary without significant emotional symptoms F43.20 (Adjustment disorder, unspecified) — Use the specific subtype when conduct problems are documented F91.9 (Conduct disorder, unspecified) — Conduct disorder is more pervasive and persistent than adjustment disorder with conduct disturbance

Code Hierarchy

└F43Reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders └F43.2Adjustment disorders └F43.24Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct

└F43.24Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct