The Impact of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease
The Hidden Epidemic

A comprehensive review of the recent research on the effects of early and later life trauma.

Ruth A. Lanius (Edited by), Eric Vermetten (Edited by), Clare Pain (Edited by)

9780521880268, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 August 2010

329 pages, 20 b/w illus. 30 tables
25.2 x 19.3 x 2 cm, 0.99 kg

' … 'The topic of this book is important and the information presented is timely and extensive …' The Journal of Psychological Medicine

There is now ample evidence from the preclinical and clinical fields that early life trauma has both dramatic and long-lasting effects on neurobiological systems and functions that are involved in different forms of psychopathology as well as on health in general. To date, a comprehensive review of the recent research on the effects of early and later life trauma is lacking. This book fills an obvious gap in academic and clinical literature by providing reviews which summarize and synthesize these findings. Topics considered and discussed include the possible biological and neuropsychological effects of trauma at different epochs and their effect on health. This book will be essential reading for psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health professionals, social workers, pediatricians and specialists in child development.

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.

Subject Areas: Clinical psychology [MMJ], Psychiatry [MMH], Paediatric medicine [MJW]