This paper aims to summarize progress in anti-depressant study of Ganmai Dazao Decoction in terms of pharmacology,clinical application and mechanism.By exploring literature in last decade,the author concluded that Ganmai Dazao Decoction could improve clinical symptoms due to depression by nourishing heart and spleen and tranquilizing mind.The possible mechanisms included several aspects,namely raising the level of single amine neurotransmitter in the brain,adjusting the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis,increasing the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its mRNA,improving the cell signal transduction,etc.The curative effect of Ganmai Dazao Decoction was significantly effective,but the current basic research is relatively few,and its antidepressant mechanism needs to be further explored.