In simple words: This code indicates a past history of self-harm, where someone has intentionally hurt themselves.If a mental health condition is related to this, it should also be recorded.

A history of self-inflicted harm, indicating past episodes of intentionally causing injury to oneself.It's crucial to also document any associated mental health disorders if they are known.

Example 1: A patient presents for a routine check-up and mentions a past history of cutting behavior during adolescence. The patient is currently stable and denies any suicidal ideation or intent.Code Z91.5 is used to document the past history of self-harm., A patient with a diagnosed anxiety disorder is seen for medication management. The patient reports a history of self-harm, but denies any current suicidal thoughts. Code Z91.5 is used in addition to the anxiety disorder code., A patient is admitted to the hospital following a suicide attempt.During the admission, it is revealed that the patient has a history of previous suicide attempts.Code T14.91XA is used for the current suicide attempt and Z91.51 is used to document the personal history of suicidal behavior.

Documentation should include the nature of the self-harm, frequency, dates (if known), and any associated mental health conditions. Current mental state and risk assessment should also be documented.

** It's important to distinguish between current self-harm (requiring acute management) and a history of self-harm (used for risk assessment and ongoing care). If a procedure is performed, a corresponding procedure code must accompany the Z code.