【Abstract】Objective With the help of literature metrology, the scientific literature in the field of animal models of depression was analyzed, so as to better understand the development trends and hot spots in this field.Methods We obtained publications on depression and animal models from 2013 to 2022 from the Web of Science core set (WOSCC) database. Citespace 6.1R 1(64-bit) Basic was used to analyze the annual publications, countries, institutions, authors and keywords related to this field.Results A total of 1000 articles were included in this study. From 2013 to 2022, the number of papers published gradually increased and stabilized. In terms of the number of articles, the United States has the most published articles (256) and the most Polish Academy of Sciences (50) . Wegener Gregers is considered the most influential author in the field, with 23 published articles. When analyzing keywords, “Animal Model” was the most frequent, followed by“Major depression”. Conclusions This study highlights the important research trends and hot spots in the field of animal models of depression. The US, China and Japan are leading the way in terms of publication, indicating their significant contribution to the development of animal models of depression. However, international cooperation is limited and there is more cooperation within institutions and groups. The field focuses on signaling pathways and therapeutic approaches to determine the pathogenesis of depression and better treatments. The study provides a visual analysis of trends in depression research to help researchers keep abreast of the latest developments.