The invention relates to medicine, more specifically to antidepressant pharmacology which selectively improves a diminished mood dominated by asthenic emotions. The inventive antidepressant substance is embodied in the form of N-carbamoyl-methyl-4-phenyl-2-pyrrolidone. Said invention increases the evidence of antidepressant effect after a single dose, prevents sedative and cholinergic effects, avoids the developmen