Geriatric depression is broadly defined as depression in patients aged 55 or 60 years or older, or it can only refer to depression in patients with a first onset age above 55 or 60 years. Geriatric depression is characterized by atypical symptoms, mostly mild depression, more complaints of somatic discomfort, more cognitive impairment, and a low rate of suicide but a high rate of successful suicide. The prevalence of depression in the elderly population is 7-10%; among older adults with physical illness, the prevalence of depression is about 50%, making it the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in the elderly population. Past history of depression, family history of depression, comorbid physical diseases (especially central nervous system diseases such as stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s disease), severe physical dysfunction, lack of socialization, loneliness, pain, female, and use of certain medications (e.g., steroids, certain antihypertensive drugs) are all risk factors for depression in the elderly. Depression in the elderly often coexists with physical illnesses and exacerbates each other, and if not treated in a timely manner is more likely to result in decreased quality of life, increased risk of cardiovascular disease (e.g., cardiovascular disease) and death. Depression in the elderly has characteristics that are different from those of young people: 1. Depressed mood and loss of interest are the core symptoms of depression, and more than half of the elderly depressed patients can also have anxiety and agitation, and sometimes somatic anxiety can completely mask depressive symptoms. 2. Delayed thinking: Patients are slow in thinking and unresponsive. Most have some degree of cognitive dysfunction (memory, calculation, comprehension and judgment decline, etc.), more obvious for memory loss, easily misdiagnosed as dementia. 3.Decreased volitional activity: manifested as slow action, lazy life, do not want to talk (less speech, low tone, slow speech), do not want to do things, do not want to interact with the surrounding people. 4, suicidal ideas and behaviors: patients with severe depressive episodes are often accompanied by negative suicidal ideas and behaviors. Elderly depressed patients have a much greater risk of suicide than patients in other age groups, especially in cases where depression is co-morbid with somatic diseases, the success rate of suicide is higher. 5. Somatic symptoms: Such symptoms are common in elderly depressed patients, even as the first complaint or repeated visits. The symptoms are variable and can be generalized or localized pain, digestive system symptoms, cardiovascular-like symptoms, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, etc., confused with or combined with somatic diseases. It is characterized by autonomic symptoms as the main somatic symptoms, with the somatic symptoms improve depression and anxiety increases with each passing day. 6. Hypochondriac symptoms: Elderly depressed patients tend to be overly concerned about their health status, exaggerate physical discomfort, actively request treatment, but often deny or ignore emotional symptoms. Therefore, elderly depression symptoms are sometimes atypical, more difficult to diagnose, the consequences may be more serious, and should receive more attention from loved ones and medical personnel.