The Impact of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease: The Hidden Epidemic. Edited by R. A. Lanius, E. Vermetten and C. Pain (Pp. 334; £55.00; ISBN 9780521880268 hb.) Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. 2010.

Abstract

Part I. Early Life Trauma, Impact of Health and Disease Section 1. Childhood Trauma: Epidemiology and Historical Themes: 1. The history of early life trauma and abuse from the 1850s to the current time: how the past influences the present 2. The epidemiology of early life trauma 3. Historical themes in the study of recovered and false memories of trauma 4. Early life trauma, later outcome: results from longitudinal studies and clinical observations Synopsis Section 2. The Effects of Life Trauma: Mental and Physical Health: 5. Attachment dysregulation as hidden trauma in infancy 6. Towards a developmental trauma in infancy, early stress, maternal buffering, and psychiatric morbidity in young adulthood 7. Complex adult sequelae of early life exposure to psychological trauma 8. The relationship of adverse childhood experiences to adult health, well being, social function and health care Synopsis Part II. Biological Approaches to Early Life Trauma Section 3. The Impact of Early Life Trauma: Psychobiological Sequelae in Children: 9. Translational studies of the effects of early life stress 10. Lateral asymmetries in infants' regulatory and communicative gestures 11. Neurobiology of childhood trauma and adversity 12. Neurobiology of neglect 13. Early life trauma as a risk factor for disease in adulthood Synopsis Section 4. The Impact of Childhood Trauma: Psychobiological Sequelae in Adults: 14. Early life stress and psychiatric risk/resilience: the importance of a developmental neurobiological model in understanding gene by environment interactions 15. Neuroendocrine effects of early life trauma 16. Long lasting effects of early life trauma on neurobiological circuits 17. Biological framework for early life related traumatic dissociation 18. The role of resilience in early life trauma Synopsis Part III. Clinical Perspectives, Assessment and Treatment of Trauma Spectrum Disorders Section 5. Assessment on the Impact of Early Life Trauma: Clinical Science and Societal Effects: 19. Assessment of early- and mid-childhood trauma in adults 20. Memory and trauma: examining disruptions in implicit, explicit and autobiographical memory 21. Scientific progress and methodological issues in the study of recovered and false memories of trauma 22. The psychosocial consequences of organized violence in children Synopsis Section 6. Strategies to Reduce Impact: 23. The role of mentalizing in treating attachment trauma 24. Pragmatic approaches to stage oriented treatment for complex post traumatic stress and dissociative disorders 25. Cognitive behavioral treatments 26. Emotions and emotion regulation in the process of trauma recovery: implications for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder 27. Psychodynamic psychotherapy: adaptations for the treatment of patients with chronic complex PSTD Synopsis Epilogue Index.