Objective:To probe into distribution characteristics of TCM syndromes and syndrome essence of depression.Methods:The literature about depression in past 10 years were collected.The principle of evidence-based medicine was used to establish the databank with EpiData 3.0

and the literature meeting the enrolled criteria were recorded and ckecked.SPSS 12.0 software was adopted to analyze frequency-times of syndromes and essence of syndromes.Results:The top three syndromes are stagnation of the liver-qi

deficiency of both the heart and spleen

and stagnation of the liver-qi with spleen deficiency; The liver

spleen and heart are the top three locations;And qi-stagnation

qi-deficiency and yin-deficiency are the top three pathogenesis types.Conclusion:At present

distribution of TCM syndrome types of depression is scattered

and clinical syndrome differentiation has great individual differences.Syndrome essence has good covering rate for syndrome differentiation and can unify and standard clinical sysndrome differentiation.