The mental health consequences of disasters have been the subject of a rapidly growing research literature in the last few decades. Moreover, they have aroused an increasing public interest, due to the dramatic impact and the wide media coverage of many recent disastrous events-from earthquakes to hurricanes, from technological disasters to terrorist attacks and war bombings. It is clear that the field is progressing rapidly from the scientific viewpoint (with a refinement of early diagnostic concepts and treatment strategies, and a deeper understanding of resilience factors at the individual and community level) and that in a (slowly) growing number of countries concrete steps have been taken concerning training of personnel, education of the population, and the development of a network of services prepared to deal with psychological emergencies. This volume aims to portray this evolutionary phase, by providing an overview of current knowledge and controversies about the mental health consequences of disasters and their management, and by offering a selection of first-hand accounts of experiences in several regions of the world. We were impressed by the liveliness of some of the reports, and particularly touched by some of the chapters dealing with the mental health consequences of armed conflicts, especially on children and adolescents. The authors of these chapters have accepted our advice to be as objective as possible in their descriptions. Neither the research overview nor the selection of experiences presented in this volume should be seen as being comprehensive. We hope, however, that the book will throw more light on the issue of mental health consequences of disasters, stimulate acquisition of more knowledge through research, enhance our sensitivity, and contribute to a more effective prevention and management of the behavioural effects of disasters.