There are MANY answers to your question in this chart.
Natally, Neptune (always a problem) squares his Moon. It could be ANY moon, not necessarily Pisces, but Neptune square the moon will always give the native periods of depression. The "clinical" part can be explained by the fact that Neptune rules the 6th house of "health" and "adjustment to one's life" , and with the moon there, and squared by Neptune, he is NOT adjusted to the life he lives.
Neptune also opposes his Sun. This is like putting a 'wet blanket' on all happy things. Also Neptune oopposes his Jupiter, which rules his 3rd house of "daily routine" & expressing himself, among other things. So whatever he does has this "dark spot" hovering over it (symbolically.)
He also has Saturn inconjunct the moon. So his moon (emotional mechanism) is attacked by both Neptune and Saturn. And with the inconjunct, there's little one can do about it. The moon and Saturn represents the parents in the original family. If these people were problematic for your friend, as his chart says they were, the best thing for him would be to be as far away from them as possible, as they don't help him emotionally, they only serve to underscore his issues.
He also has Sun-Jupiter square moon. This guy has very different values, needs and goals from the people who raised him. He has never been able to break free of his childhood, whatever it was, and become "AUTHENTICALLY" HIMSELF. And there's a part of him that knows this, and it's the part of him that makes him depressed.
He finds it hard to express his true feelings, thoughts and philosophy.
He also has Mars and Venus in the same sign, and conjunct (next to each other.) This is not considered fortunate, although EITHER Mars or Venus in Taurus would be fortunate, both together in the 7th house, and opposing Uranus, is difficult.
I think your friend might have a sexual identity problem. MIght. But if not, he does feel a bit hemmed in by his environment and maybe even his relationship. He needs to explore living somewhere else....even if just another city from where he is now.
Sometimes relocation brings personal evolution.
The moon rules his MC (public identity) and this means he can't seem to get away from his deep emotions, and it has come to "define" him, which is negative because if there is a planet which should define one, it would be the SUN which rules the future and authenticity, and not the moon which rules the past and programming from others who happened to be strong when the native was a child.
He also has the north node in the first, which means he needs to promote himself in this life and be independent....or at least interdependent, not codependent.
This is a creative man who has not found the freedom to do creative things.
He must find an environment which will give him freedom & give him inspiration to have freedom of expression. When Saturn rules your 4th house your personal environment is vital to your health and well being and maturity.
I want to add that in 2002 transitting Saturn was in Gemini which would account for his intense depression...these were the pertinent dates:
Saturn conj. his Jupiter the first time in August 2001, and also made the first opposition to his Neptune..... then retrograded and came back to that conjunction (and opposition to Neptune) at the end of April of '02. From there it conjuncted his Sun at 17 Gemini, but first made a square to his moon at 16 Pisces (all of May, 02.)
Even though it moved on, it remained in Gemini until June of '03. Unfortunately, it remained in his 9th house till July, 04. Then it hit his Midheaven (Saturn on midheaven is traditionally negative unless there are great aspects to it) in June '04.
But just before it his his MC it squared both his Pluto and ascendant. This happened in Sept, Oct, Nov, & Dec. of '03. Then it retrograded and came back for another pass at the squares to both his Pluto and ascendant in May and June of '04.
In '05....July & Aug, Saturn (in Leo) squared his Mars and Venus in his 7th house. When it retrograded back it didn't quite get back to 2 degrees (to square Mars and Venus) but it was within orb to feel the effect so spring of '06 probably wasn't happy for him.
Saturn will cross his ascendant next year (around this time). And at that time he'll have a Saturn trine Sun-JUpiter which should help him relocate. However, if he wants to take full advantage of THAT transit, he will need to make the most of the time he has now.
Uranus will be in positive aspect to his Mercury till December of 2010, and so it will help him make big changes. He will make the changes mentally, but he will need encouragement to make the changes physically.
Depressives find it really hard to make big changes...there's a sort of comfort in depression and a fear of the future which keeps them stuck in first gear. If his friends really want to help him they should encourage him to use his intuition in the future.
LIN