Development Progress of Instrumental Analysis Technologies for Detection of Depression

Depression has become a universal public health challenge worldwide. Traditional diagnostic methods relying on clinical interviews and questionnaires often have strong subjectivity and lack clear biomarkers. In recent years, with the deepening understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that depression is closely associated with alterations in specific biological indicators, including central neurotransmitters, peripheral inflammatory factors, and endogenous metabolic products, which may serve as potential biomarkers. These findings provide a solid theoretical foundation for the development of objective and quantitative precision diagnostic methods. Accordingly, a variety of detection technologies, including biomarker-based assays, have been actively explored for the objective diagnosis and auxiliary diagnosis of depression. These developments highlight the urgent clinical demand for diagnostic technologies that are rapid, objective, and highly accurate. Future research efforts therefore need to focus on the development of novel diagnostic technologies for depression which are rapid, sensitive, objective, and quantifiable. This paper systematically reviews the latest applications of chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, electrochemical techniques, magnetic resonance imaging, and wearable sensor technologies in the screening and diagnosis of depression. It summarizes the potential biomarkers that may be useful for the precise diagnosis of depression, discusses the advantages and clinical applicability of each technology, and analyzes their future development trends and prospects. Notably, technologies such as mass spectrometry, particularly when integrated with multimodal detection approaches and artificial intelligence techniques, are expected to drive depression diagnostics toward more precise and non-invasive directions. Therefore, the future development of technologies and devices focusing on early screening, non-invasive detection, convenient diagnosis, and precise evaluation of depression is of great importance, as it will provide critical support for clinical intervention and prognosis improvement, and holds substantial academic value and translational clinical significance.