ICD-10 & Billing

The 30 most common ICD-10 codes in psychotherapy

May 2026 | 9 min read | TimeInvoicer Editorial

You're sitting in front of the invoice, the session was intense, and one field is missing: the ICD-10 code. You roughly know what it was — but was it F32.1 or F33.1? F40.0 or F40.1? From 1 July 2026, this field becomes mandatory in Austria. This list helps you find the right code faster.

Who is this for? Clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, and anyone billing health insurance funds (ÖGK, BVAEB, SVS) or private clients in Austria.

Contents

In brief: what is ICD-10?

The ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) is the WHO's international diagnostic classification. Chapter V covers mental and behavioural disorders — the F-codes. In Austria the BMSGPK 2024 version applies. From July 2026 the code becomes mandatory on invoices to health insurance funds, since this is how the fund maps your service to a billable category.

Important: ICD-10 is a billing classification, not a clinical decision tool. You make the clinical judgment as before — the code only translates it into a standardised form for the insurance fund.

F30–F39 — Mood (affective) disorders

By far the most common code group in clinical practice. Most therapists know these by heart within a few months.

CodePlain textPractical example
F32.0Mild depressive episodeFirst depressive episode, daily life still manageable
F32.1Moderate depressive episodeClearly reduced capacity, sleep disturbances
F32.2Severe depressive episode without psychotic symptomsMarked anhedonia, suicidal ideation
F33.1Recurrent depressive disorder, current moderateRecurring episodes across life phases
F33.4Recurrent depressive disorder, currently in remissionCurrently stable, prior episodes documented
F34.1DysthymiaChronic, low-grade depressive mood across years
F31.xBipolar affective disorderAlternating manic and depressive phases

F40–F48 — Anxiety, stress and somatoform disorders

The second most common group. Differential coding is often tricky — this is why a favourites list pays off.

CodePlain textPractical example
F40.0AgoraphobiaFear of open spaces, crowds, public transport
F40.1Social phobiaFear of scrutiny in social situations
F40.2Specific (isolated) phobiasSpiders, heights, needles, flying
F41.0Panic disorderRecurring panic attacks without trigger
F41.1Generalised anxiety disorderFree-floating anxiety over months
F42Obsessive-compulsive disorderObsessions or compulsions causing distress
F43.0Acute stress reactionReaction within hours/days of stressor
F43.1Post-traumatic stress disorderAfter trauma, flashbacks, avoidance
F43.2Adjustment disorderAfter breakup, job loss, diagnosis
F45.0Somatisation disorderMultiple unexplained physical symptoms
F45.4Persistent somatoform pain disorderChronic pain, psychosocially co-determined
F48.0Neurasthenia / fatigue syndromePersistent exhaustion (often called „burnout“ in everyday speech)

Differential coding tip: Phasic symptoms point toward F32/F33. Chronic, low-grade symptoms point toward F34.1 or F48.0. This avoids the typical F32 over-coding.

F50 — Eating disorders

CodePlain textPractical example
F50.0Anorexia nervosaBMI < 17.5, fear of weight gain
F50.2Bulimia nervosaBinge eating with compensatory behaviour
F50.4Binge eating disorderWithout compensatory behaviour

F51 — Non-organic sleep disorders

CodePlain textPractical example
F51.0Non-organic insomniaSleep onset or maintenance issues over weeks
F51.5NightmaresRecurring distressing dreams

F60 — Personality disorders

CodePlain textPractical example
F60.3Emotionally unstable personality disorderBorderline type or impulsive type
F60.4Histrionic personality disorderTheatrical presentation, attention-seeking
F60.5Anankastic personality disorderStrong perfectionism, need for control
F60.6Anxious (avoidant) personality disorderWithdrawal due to fear of criticism

F10–F19 — Substance-related disorders

The trailing digit codes the severity: .0 acute intoxication, .1 harmful use, .2 dependence syndrome, .3 withdrawal state.

CodePlain textPractical example
F10.2Alcohol dependenceClinically relevant alcohol dependence
F11.2Opioid dependenceHeroin, methadone, opioid analgesics
F17.2Tobacco dependenceSmoking cessation cases

F90–F98 — Child & adolescent psychiatry

CodePlain textPractical example
F90.0Hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)School age, attention & impulse control issues
F93.0Separation anxiety disorderSchool avoidance, attachment to caregiver
F95.xTic disordersTransient or chronic (Tourette: F95.2)

5 practical coding tips

  1. Mark your 5–10 most-used codes as favourites. 80 % of your invoices come from the same pool. In TimeInvoicer you star codes — they appear at the top.
  2. Set the code once when you create the client. For chronic cases the code rarely changes month to month. You save 30 seconds per follow-up invoice.
  3. Lead with the primary code in mixed presentations. The invoice reflects the primary focus of treatment.
  4. Take trailing digits seriously. F32.1 vs F32.2 is a major difference — clinically and in how the insurance fund sees the case.
  5. Update on remission. When F32.1 becomes F33.4 (in remission), put the change on the next invoice. This documents treatment success — valuable for renewal applications.

Note on responsibility: ICD-10 coding remains the clinical responsibility of the treating professional. This list does not replace diagnostic judgement — it only helps you find the right billing code. TimeInvoicer makes no diagnostic suggestions; the app only surfaces codes you have used yourself in the past.

How TimeInvoicer takes this off your hands

Looking up codes is not a job. It still costs hours every month — because most billing apps in Austria either have no integrated ICD-10 catalogue, or one that is unusable.

TimeInvoicer is built differently:

Code lookup is yesterday's problem.

Get TimeInvoicer for free. 14-day Pro trial included. No credit card needed.

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