Abstract: Functional imaging is an effective methods in the study of psychological disturbances. The SPECT imaging methods commonly used in the study of depression are cerebral blood flow imaging, cerebral metabolic imaging and neuroreceptor imaging, which reflect the cerebral blood perfusion, cerebral metabolism, and the distribution and function of neuroreceptors respectively. The techniques in data processing include and statistical parametric mapping. This review summarizes the feature of the imaging and data processing methods, the manifestation of SPECT images in depressive patients, the brain region with abnormal blood flow and the findings in neuroreceptor imaging, analyzes the problems in current reports and prospects future studies.