Parental Alienation Disorder: Why Label Children with a Mental Diagnosis?

Models of Psychopathology

“…Gardner ( 1987aGardner ( , 1991Gardner ( , 1992 referred to the mother as often being the primary perpetrator of verbal attacks and untruths. More recently, however, it has become clearer that males and females are equally capable of infl icting verbal harm and alienation ( Reay, 2007 ). For example, one father who abducted his children to Europe in 2003 employed the tactics and behaviors described by Gardner.…”

“…First, scholars and practitioners have questioned the legitimacy of parental alienation syndrome and its associated processes and behaviors. Specifi cally, many researchers and practitioners have questioned the extent to which parental alienation syndrome is valid and reliable (Emery, Otto, & O'Donohue, 2005 ;Houchin et al, 2012 ;Walker & Shapiro, 2010 ). The second important point emerging from the literature reveals that only limited empirical research has examined parental alienation syndrome to support the proposition that parental alienation is indeed a syndrome (Burrill, 2006 ;Gardner, 2001 ;Rand, 2011 ).…”

“…Consequently, in addition to examining parental alienation, this chapter also describes the lack of consensus among scholars, practitioners, nonmental health professionals (e.g., lawyers and child protective services personnel), and family members regarding parental alienation syndrome and how the discourse related to parental alienation syndrome has been emotionally charged and fi ercely debated (Bernet, 2008 ;Houchin et al, 2012 ;Walker & Shapiro, 2010 ). Child abduction is one commonly reported pathway to or aftereffect of parental alienation behavior.…”

Ethical Violations: What Can and Does Go Wrong in Child Custody Evaluations?

“…PAS=PAD is not based on scientific nor peer-reviewed research (Bond, 2007;Bruch, 2001;Houchin, Ranseen, Hash, & Bartnicki, 2012;Kelly & Johnston, 2001;Meier, 2009;Pepiton, Alvis, Allen, & Logid, 2012;Walker & Shapiro, 2010). Therefore, it is not included in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) nor any prior ones and has been considered inadmissible now in several courts (Hoult, 2006).…”

“…He also concludes that PAS is more pseudoscience than science. In addition, Walker and Shapiro (2010) assert further problems with the concept of PAS, which include the inability to separate the causes of parental rejection in addition Potential Ethical Violations 93 to alienation and denigration by one parent against the other and the harm that can come from forcing a child who has been abused to be with the abusive parent. For Meier (2009), this theory may threaten the integrity of the criminal justice system and the safety of abused children.…”