Common syndromes and syndrome factors distribution characteristics of depression in TCM literature

[Objective] To summarize the common syndrome of depression and distribution characteristics of its syndrome factor by analyzing the modern literature for nearly 10 years about depression.[Methods] After searching the neoteric literatures of depression and establishing a literature data-base this material were then analyzed by Epidata 2.0 statistical software.[Results] There were 86 syndrome names after the preliminary specification.The common syndromes with appearing frequency of ≥5% are syndrome of liver Qi stagnation,liver stagnation and spleen deficiency,deficiency in both heart and spleen,liver-kidney Yin deficiency,liverstagnation and phlegm obstruction,liver stagnation and blood stasis,Qi stagnation and blood stasis.Under this basis 8 syndrome-like factors in disease site and 18 syndrome-like factors due to disease characteristics were obtained.The later with appearing frequency of occurrences ≥5% are Qi stagnation,Qi deficiency,Yin deficiency,blood deficiency,hot(or fire),mind,phlegm;syndrome-like factors in disease site are liver,spleen,kidney,heart.[Conclusion] The syndrome distribution in depression has complex and varied characteristics.However the distribution of syndrome factor is relatively simple.Searching the neoteric literatures of depression can provide the corresponding basis for finding out the distribution rule about the syndromes and syndrome factors of depression.