Depression is one of the most common mental disorders with complex pathophysiological mechanism. In recent years， the oxidative stress hypothesis of depression has attracted much attention. Many studies have found that patients with depression have increased levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine （8-OHdG）， which is considered as a biological marker of DNA damage caused by oxidative stress. This paper reviews the research on the correlation between 8-OHdG and depression， and provides references for the research on the pathogenesis of depression.