Background. There is little research that examines demographic, clinical and treatment factors associated with changes in physical symptoms, psychiatric symptoms and functional outcome in patients with somatized depression or anxiety in primary care.

Method. Factors associated with the outcome of psychologized or somatized depression or anxiety were derived from the literature. These factors were tested individually for their effects on changes in physical symptoms, psychiatric symptoms and functional outcome between baseline consultation with the general practitioner and 1 or 3 months later in 215 patients with somatized depression or anxiety. Individual factors associated with a particular outcome, demographic, DSM-IV diagnosis and treatment variables were entered into a multiple regression analysis.

Results. Factors associated with a better outcome on all three types of outcome measure were the absence of generalized anxiety disorder and/or simple or social phobias, absence of physical pathology, and the prescription of fewer drugs, especially hypnotics or benzodiazepines. In addition, a better psychiatric symptom outcome was associated with the patients' perceived satisfaction with the general practitioner's understanding or explanation of the patient's problems. A better functional outcome was associated with having a job, less distress over physical symptoms, not receiving invalidity benefit and no referral to hospital.

Conclusion. There are clinical and demographic factors associated with all types of short-term outcome in patients with somatized depression or anxiety but there are additional factors that are associated only with either psychiatric or functional outcome.