Objective To compare the therapeutic effectiveness and safeness of venlafaxine sustained‐release capsules and citalopram tablets in the treatment of post‐stroke depression .Methods 60 patients were randomly divided into venlafaxine group (n=30)and citalomram group(n=30) for 8 weeks treatment .Hamilton rating scale for depression(HAMD) and treat‐ment emergent system scale (TESS) were used to evaluate the efficacy and side effects ,respectively .Results After 4‐8 weeks of treatment ,both scores of HAMD of the two groups decreased significantly(P<0 .05) ,but there was no difference between the two groups(P>0 .05) .The total scores of HAMD in venlafaxine group were notably lower than citalopram group after 2 weeks(P<0 .05 ) .There was no significant difference in side effects between the two groups(P>0 .05) .Conclusion There was no significant difference in gross curative effect and side effects between two groups ;venlafaxine worked faster compared to citalopram .