Fifteen years of NESDA Neuroimaging: An overview of results related to clinical profile and bio-social risk factors of major depressive disorder and common anxiety disorders

•In this review, 36 original research articles resulting from the NESDA Neuroimaging study were summarized and discussed.•Common morphological and neurocognitive abnormalities across individuals with depression and anxiety disorders were observed.•Limited support for the idea of more extensive abnormalities in patients suffering from both depression and anxiety compared to the uncomorbid conditions was provided, despite the worse prognosis.•Risk factors including childhood maltreatment and specific risk genes appeared to have an emotion processing modulating effect, apparently stronger than effects of diagnostic labels.•Brain imaging data, especially during emotion processing seemed valuable for predicting the long-term course of affective disorders, outperforming prediction based on clinical information alone.