Abstract： Objective To summarize the common traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types and syndrome characteristics of depressive disorder(DD)by analyzing the existing clinical research literature,and to provide a basis for TCM syndrome classification and research on DD.Methods The documents related to TCM syndrome classification of DD were retrieved systematically from China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),China Biology Medicine Literature Service System(SinoMed),China Science and Technology Journal Database(VIP)and China Academic Journals Full-text Database(WanFang).The literature was organized and analyzed,and Gephi software was used to do the visual analysis.Results A total of 262 literature that met the criteria were included in the study.The annual average number of publications exceeds 10 articles since 2010.The top 5 syndrome types in TCM were Liver Qi Stagnation(LQS)type,Liver Stagnation and Spleen Deficiency(LSSD)type,Heart and Spleen Deficiency(HSD)type,Liver Stagnation and Phlegm Obstruction type and Liver Stagnation and Kidney Deficiency type,viscera syndrome classification mainly involved Liver,Spleen,Heart,Kidney and Gallbladder.The main syndrome type based on deficiency-excess syndrome classification was excess type.The strongest correlation of excess type was LQS,the strongest correlation of deficiency types was HSD,and the strongest correlation of deficiency and excess mixed syndrome type was LSSD.Conclusion The publication volume of literature related to TCM syndrome types of DD shows a fluctuating upward trend.The occurrence and development of DD are related to dysfunction of multiple organs,and liver stagnation is the core syndrome,which may run through the entire process of DD.