To analyze and evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of vortioxetine in the treatment of depressive disorder. Methods: A total of 118 patients with depressive disorder were randomly divided into the escitalopram group (n=60) and vortioxetine group (n=58). Patients were treated with either escitalopram or vortioxetine at 10~20 mg/d for 8 weeks. At baseline and at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment, the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) were used to assess clinical efficacy. The recovery of social function was assessed by the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) at baseline and 8 weeks after treatment. Adverse reactions to drugs were assessed by the Treatment-Emergent Symptoms Scale (TESS) throughout the duration of the study. Results: CGI results at 8 weeks after treatment showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). At each time point after treatment, the HAMD score of each group was significantly lower than that of the same group at baseline (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups at each time point (P>0.05). SDS scores of the two groups after 8 weeks of treatment were significantly improved compared with that at baseline (P<0.01), and the SDS score of the vortioxetine group was significantly lower than that of the escitalopram group (P<0.01). No serious adverse events occurred in either group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of adverse events (P>0.05). Conclusion: Vortioxetine is not inferior to escitalopram in terms of safety and effectiveness in the treatment of depressive disorder. Vortioxetine can quickly and effectively treat the symptoms of depressive disorder and plays a positive role in the recovery of social function.