Abstract: Depression is a psychiatric disease characterized by long-lasting low mood, accompanied by symptoms such as cognitive, sleep and social disturbances. In the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, depression is included in the categories of "depression syndrome" and "madness", and the main syndrome type is liver stagnation and spleen deficiency. Xiaoyao san, Sini san and Chaihushugan san are commonly used prescriptions for clinical treatment of depression, and flavonoids are the common active ingredients. Clinical and basic studies have shown that the flavonoids derived from antidepressant compound prescription have pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and intestinal flora regulation which could prevent the occurrence and development of depression from different pathways. Based on this, this review focuses on the pathogenesis of depression, summarizes the common flavonoids in antidepressant prescriptions, and summarizes their regulatory mechanisms and effects in order to provide ideas for the prevention and treatment of depression.