Major depressv disord, single epsd, sev w/o psych features

This code signifies a severe depressive episode characterized by prominent and pervasive symptoms such as profound sadness, anhedonia, significant weight changes, sleep disturbances, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, impaired concentration, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. The severity of symptoms causes marked distress or functional impairment, but there is no evidence of hallucinations, delusions, or other psychotic features.

Apply this code when a patient presents with their first episode of major depression, and the clinician explicitly documents the severity as "severe" without any psychotic features. Documentation should detail the number and intensity of depressive symptoms meeting DSM-5 criteria for a major depressive episode, along with the absence of psychotic symptoms.

• Ensure the documentation clearly specifies "single episode" and "severe without psychotic features" to differentiate from recurrent episodes or those with psychotic features.
• Do not use this code if the patient has a history of previous major depressive episodes; instead, consider codes for recurrent major depressive disorder.
• Verify that the clinical notes explicitly rule out psychotic symptoms, as their presence would necessitate a different code.