F42.2 – Mixed obsessional thoughts and acts

ICD-10-CM code F42.2 represents mixed obsessional thoughts and acts. This guide details its clinical relevance, billability, FAQs, and associated codes.

By Karina Jimenea on Aug 8, 2025.

Fact Checked by Gale Alagos.

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F42.2 diagnosis code: Mixed obsessional thoughts and acts

The F42.2 is an ICD code included in the ICD-10-CM. It is used to designate mixed obsessional thoughts and acts.

This ICD-10 code is used for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). What is meant by obsessive thoughts and acts is that:

The person is dealing with pervasive and invasive thoughts that cause them to feel anxious or distressed. Patients who deal with these mental acts will try to think of other things to counteract these thoughts. By counteract, we mean any of the following: to completely neutralize, ignore, or suppress these thoughts.

The person will have specific responses to their intrusive thoughts. Some of these responses are actions they will do repeatedly or ritualistically in the hopes that doing so will quiet their thoughts. The person recognizes that these acts can be non-sensical and excessive. If the person fails to perform these responses, they become even more anxious or distressed.

Is the F42.2 billable?

Yes, the F42.2 ICD-10 code is billable and can be used to designate a patient for reimbursement purposes.

Clinical information

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a type of mental health condition where intrusive thoughts and impulses plague a person's mind. To respond to these impulses, people who have OCD engage in behavior or acts that they can enact physically or mentally. People who have OCD will experience it to varying degrees. Some people who have OCD are still able to live normally without it being a problem, but some are bothered to the degree that it affects their daily lives and even their relationships.

A person who has OCD will have the following symptoms:

They have these excessive thoughts and behaviors they can't control. They also acknowledge that these thoughts and behaviors are extreme and sometimes nonsensical. They also dwell on these thoughts and behaviors for at least an hour at several intervals in a day.
Their responses to their excessive thoughts and behaviors are made simply to help them find relief from the distress they cause. They don't necessarily derive any pleasure from what they do as a response to those.
Their obsessions (thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors) have caused and are causing significant problems in their lives.

To help people work through OCD, they can take anti-depressants or other psychiatric medicines. A non-medical way to treat OCD is to enroll the patient in a cognitive behavioral therapy program to learn healthier ways of thinking and reacting to combat their obsessions and compulsions.

Synonyms include:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder caused by psychoactive substance

Other ICD-10 codes commonly used for obsessive-compulsive disorder:

F42: Obsessive-compulsive disorder
F42.3: Hoarding disorder
F42.4: Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder
F42.8: Other obsessive-compulsive disorder
F42.9: Obsessive-compulsive disorder, unspecified

Commonly asked questions

F42.2 is the ICD-10-CM code for "mixed obsessional thoughts and acts." It involves both persistent intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, such as repetitive checking or rituals.

Obsessive thinking can be your mind’s way of trying to control uncertainty or manage anxiety. These thoughts often feel repetitive and intrusive, and they are commonly associated with OCD, anxiety disorders, or periods of severe stress.

Intrusive thoughts are most commonly linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They may also occur in conditions like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression.

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