To compare and analyze the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome elements of late-life depression (LLD) between high-altitude and plain areas.

A total of 111 patients with LLD were enrolled from the Third People's Hospital of Qinghai Province, including 63 from high-altitude areas and 48 from plain areas. General demographic information was recorded, including gender, age, ethnicity, disease duration, and life events. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI) were used to evaluate depressive symptoms, and the TCM Syndrome Dialectical Scale for Depression Syndrome Elements was used to evaluate TCM syndromes. The distribution characteristics of TCM syndromes and their correlation with clinical characteristics were compared between elderly patients with depression in high-altitude and plain areas.

The proportion of yin deficiency syndrome in elderly patients with depression in high-altitude areas was significantly higher than that in patients from plain areas, and the risk of yin deficiency syndrome in high-altitude patients was significantly higher than that in plain-area patients.

There are certain differences in the distribution characteristics of TCM syndrome between different altitudes and geographical environments. When diagnosing and treating geriatric depression with TCM, attention should be paid to the influencing factors associated with different regional environments.