Longitudinal studies of children with psychopathology are expensive and often difficult to undertake. It can take years to trace and recruit samples. Nevertheless, these studies are important not only for learning about the long-term consequences of child psychiatric disorders, but also for understanding their causes and the mechanisms leading to poor outcomes. For example, longitudinal research on children reared in institutions has consistently shown that their adult outcomes are determined to an important extent by their experiences in adolescence and early adult life. There is nothing inevitable about the long-term consequences of an early adverse upbringing. There may, therefore, be scope for preventive interventions in adolescence, an important finding both for clinicians and for those who plan and fund services for looked after children.

In this book, the Child Psychiatry Committee of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry has brought together the results of longitudinal research on the development of psychopathology in children. The aim is to compile the conclusions of new research and hard-to-find US governmental reports. The book begins with chapters on high-risk groups, such as children in the Head Start programmes and children with chronic medical illnesses. There are then chapters on the outcomes of children brought up by mentally ill parents and children who have experienced single severe traumas such as kidnapping or bush fires. The book concludes with chapters on the outcomes of established mental disorders, including depression, conduct disorder and hyperactivity.

At nearly £30 for fewer than 200 pages, this paperback is expensive. Moreover, it relies too much on the presentation of abstracts from research papers — there is little attempt at synthesis. It will, however, be a useful addition to a seminar series for trainee psychiatrists. It is well written and provides a succinct summary of a large amount of longitudinal research. A useful addition for a postgraduate centre library.