Panagiota Pervanidou, Gerasimos Kolaitis and George P. Chrousos
First Department of Pediatrics and Department of Child Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece; Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece
War and Suicide. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2009, 306 pages.

There is growing evidence of a profound impact of all types of trauma on children’s mental health, growth and development. At times of crisis, children represent one of the most vulnerable groups, while the effects of stress during critical periods of brain development and physical growth may be irreversible. Natural disasters and man-made catastrophes, such as war, are major causes of emotional and behavioral manifestations and disorders in childhood. Pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a common trauma-related disorder. Chronic dysregulation of the two main axes of the stress system, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis, and the Arousal/autonomic (sympathetic) nervous systems are frequently found in individuals with PTSD. Chronically disturbed secretion of stress hormones may be damaging the developing organism in many ways.