Depression is a common mental disorder,and its pathogenesis is closely related to the imbalance in the interaction between short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs) and the gut microbiota.Combining traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theories with modern medical literature,depression is often associated with liver depression,and the homeostasis of the gut microbiota is closely related to the physiological function of the spleen.In the pathogenesis of depression,the imbalance in the interaction between SCFAs and the gut microbiota is closely related to the TCM syndrome of “liver depression and spleen deficiency”.Therefore,guided by TCM theory and clinical practice,exploring the pathogenesis connotation of liver depression and spleen deficiency in depression based on SCFAs-gut microbiota is expected to help clarify the pathogenesis of depression from a new angle of “liver depression and spleen deficiency”.