Abstract: Depression disorder is a prevalent psychiatric disorder characterized by high incidence, recurrence and disability rates, which imposes significant social and economic burdens globally. The etiology of depression is still unclear, and treatment options remain limited. Various animal models have been developed for screening and evaluation of antidepressants. This paper reviewed the current trends in depression research and typical non-clinical animal models, summarized the important issues in standardized non-clinical research of depression disorders and proposed criteria for the selection of appropriate R&D models.