Depression is one of the leading causes of disease burden worldwide， and is an important public-health problem. Occurrence and development of depression is closely associated with the gut microbiota. In recent years， particular attention has been paid to lactic acid bacteria for their potential to improve neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. A psychobiotic was defined as a live organism that， when ingested in adequate amounts， produces a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness. Strains of lactic acid bacteria with anti-depression activity belong to the genera Lactobacillus， Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview on the relationship between intestinal microbiota and depression， the genus and species of anti-depressant lactic acid bacteria， and the improvement and mechanism of lactic acid bacteria on depression， aiming to provide a useful guidance for the anti-depressant of lactic acid bacteria and the development of products containing lactic acid bacteria.