F43.25

Billable

Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct

HCC Category Mapping

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

0.000

What This Code Means

A condition where a person develops emotional disturbances (such as anxiety or depression) combined with behavioral problems in response to a specific identifiable stressor.

Coding Tips

•Document both the emotional symptoms and the behavioral disturbances present
•Clearly identify the stressor and note that symptoms began within 3 months of the stressor onset

Clinical Significance

Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct captures reactive presentations where both emotional symptoms (depression, anxiety) and behavioral disturbances (aggression, rule-breaking) develop in response to an identifiable stressor. This combined presentation is common in adolescents dealing with significant life changes such as divorce, relocation, or loss.

Documentation Requirements

✓Identifiable stressor documented
✓Both emotional symptoms (depression, anxiety) and conduct disturbance (behavioral problems) present
✓Neither emotional nor behavioral component alone meets criteria for another specific diagnosis
✓Symptom onset within 3 months of the stressor
✓Functional impairment documented
✓Current treatment plan addressing both emotional and behavioral components

Commonly Confused Codes

F43.24 (Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct) — Use F43.24 when only conduct problems are present without emotional symptoms F43.23 (Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood) — Use F43.23 when emotional symptoms are present without conduct disturbance F43.29 (Adjustment disorder with other symptoms) — Use F43.25 when the mixed emotional-behavioral pattern is clear F91.9 (Conduct disorder, unspecified) — Conduct disorder is persistent and not reactive; adjustment disorder is time-limited

Code Hierarchy

└F43Reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders └F43.2Adjustment disorders └F43.25Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct

└F43.25Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct