Personality change due to conditions classified elsewhere

This code signifies a significant and persistent alteration in an individual's characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, directly attributable to a general medical condition. The personality changes are not due to a mental disorder or substance use, but rather a direct physiological consequence of an underlying physical illness or injury.

This code is appropriate when documentation clearly links a new onset or exacerbation of personality traits (e.g., apathy, disinhibition, aggression, paranoia) to a diagnosed physical condition such as a brain injury, tumor, stroke, or endocrine disorder. The medical record should explicitly state the causal relationship between the medical condition and the personality change.

• Always code the underlying general medical condition first, as it is the etiology of the personality change.
• Ensure documentation specifies that the personality change is due to the medical condition, rather than simply co-occurring.
• Distinguish from primary mental health disorders where personality changes are not directly caused by a physical illness.