Trauma exerts approximately two-fold increased risk for various forms of psychopathology, including anxiety, major depression and behavior problems. Compelling evidence from a variety of studies suggests that an array of early life stressors, constitute a major risk factor for the development and persistence of both mood and anxiety disorders, as they are associated with increased rates of stress-related mental and physical disorders in adulthood. Accumulating evidence from laboratory animal studies on early life stress suggests persistent changes in the function of brain regions pivotal to the meditation of stress and emotion that are similar to the neurobiological alterations exhibited in patients suffering from depression or anxiety disorders. The juvenile stress model might serve as an animal model for developmental-stage-specific symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders, which could then promote the search for a valid diagnostic tool of these disorders in children and adolescents.