In recent years, researchers have put a great effort in identifying predictive factors for the
persistence of depressive and anxiety disorders. Chronic somatic disease might be such a
factor for instance through a direct negative impact on overall functioning [1], recognition or
treatment response [2] of depressed or anxious patients. Few studies have investigated the
impact of specific somatic diseases. Wells et al.[3] found that a lifetime history of myocardial
infarction was associated with persistent depression, whereas hypertension and insulin�…

The combination of pain and depression or anxiety is commonly seen in clinical practice.
Little is known about the influence of pain on psychopathology over time, as previous
studies have been mainly cross-sectional. The objectives of this study are to determine the
impact of pain on the course of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, and investigate to what
extent the association between pain and course of these mental disorders is mediated by
psychiatric characteristics. Data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety�…