Scholarly rumors: Citation analysis of vast misinformation regarding parental alienation theory.

Misinformation is widespread in political discourse, mental health literature, and hard science. This article describes recurrent publication of the same misinformation regarding parental alienation (PA), that is, variations of the statement: "PA theory assumes that the favored parent has caused PA in the child simply because the child refuses to have a relationship with the rejected parent, without identifying or proving alienating behaviors by the favored parent." Ninety-four examples of the same misinformation were identified and subjected to citation analysis using Gephi software, which displays the links between citing material and cited material.

The Five-Factor Model for the Diagnosis of Parental Alienation.

Although the phenomenon that we know as parental alienation (PA) had been described in the mental health and legal literature for many years, it was given its name-parental alienation syndrome-by Richard Gardner in 1985. As time went on, most writers abandoned the use of the word syndrome and simply referred to this mental condition as parental alienation. The definition of PA is a mental state in which a child-usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce-allies strongly with one parent (the favored parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent) without a good reason.

Definitions and terminology regarding child alignments, estrangement, and alienation: A survey of custody evaluators.

Parental alienation (PA) is a highly consequential family dynamic that causes harm to children and parents. While many mental health and legal professionals agree that PA is common and potentially very harmful to children, there is still the appearance that there is controversy and discord in the field. The purpose of this study was to test the extent of consensus in the field regarding the basic tenets of PA theory.

Measuring the Difference Between Parental Alienation and Parental Estrangement: The PARQ-Gap.

Parental alienation (rejection of a parent without legitimate justification) and realistic estrangement (rejection of a parent for a good reason) are generally accepted concepts among mental health and legal professionals. Alienated children, who were not abused, tend to engage in splitting and lack ambivalence with respect to their parents; estranged children, who were maltreated, usually perceive their parents in an ambivalent manner. The hypothesis of this study was that a psychological test-the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ)-will help to distinguish severely alienated from nonalienated children.

An Objective Measure of Splitting in Parental Alienation: The Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire.

Both clinicians and forensic practitioners should distinguish parental alienation (rejection of a parent without legitimate justification) from other reasons for contact refusal. Alienated children-who were not abused-often engage in splitting and lack ambivalence with respect to the rejected parent; children who were maltreated usually perceive the abusive parent in an ambivalent manner. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) in identifying and quantifying the degree of splitting, which may assist in diagnosing parental alienation.

Child Affected by Parental Relationship Distress.

Objective: A new condition, "child affected by parental relationship distress" (CAPRD), was introduced in the DSM-5. A relational problem, CAPRD is defined in the chapter of the DSM-5 under "Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention." The purpose of this article is to explain the usefulness of this new terminology.

Associations between Exposure to Alienating Behaviors, Anxiety, and Depression in an Italian Sample of Adults.

The aim of this study was to examine associations between exposure to alienating behaviors (ABs) and anxiety and depression as mediated through psychological maltreatment and parental bonding in a sample of Italian adults in the community. Five hundred and nine adults were given a measure of exposure to ABs, the Baker Strategy Questionnaire; the Psychological Maltreatment Measure; the Parental Bonding Instrument; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y; and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Exposure to ABs was associated with psychological maltreatment, which was associated with parental bonding, which was associated with each of the three mental health outcomes: depression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety.

Symptom Checklist-90-Revised scores in adult children exposed to alienating behaviors: an Italian sample.

This study addresses a particular form of child psychological maltreatment, exposing a child to alienating behaviors in the context of a high degree of conflict between the parents. The objective of this research was to identify retrospectively the alienating behaviors that occurred in an Italian sample of children and the reported associated psychosocial symptoms. Seven hundred and thirty-nine adults in Chieti, Italy, completed an anonymous and confidential survey regarding their childhood exposure to parental alienating behaviors and measures of current symptomatology.

Parental alienation, DSM-5, and ICD-11: response to critics.

There has been considerable interest among forensic practitioners in the proposals that parental alienation be included in the next editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Diseases (DSM) and The International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However, there has also been a great deal of misunderstanding about the proposals, and misinformation has been expressed in professional meetings, on websites, and in journal articles. In this article we address four common misunderstandings regarding parental alienation: that there is a lack of research to support it as a diagnosis; that adopting parental alienation as a diagnosis will lead to serious adverse consequences; that the advocates of parental alienation are driven by self-serving or malevolent motives; and that Richard Gardner should be criticized for self-publishing his description of parental alienation syndrome.

Ridiculous statements by mental health experts.

When mental health experts express their opinions in testimony, reports, and articles in professional literature, it is expected that their statements will accurately reflect the current state of knowledge. Experts may disagree about the data that they collected. In some cases, however, disagreement occurs because an expert has employed a methodology that is far outside usual procedures or simply disregarded objective facts.

An evidence-based approach for estimating present and future damages from child sexual abuse.

This article illustrates the use of evidence-based practice to develop conclusions for a forensic report. The authors present a case vignette in which an early adolescent boy was sexually abused by an employee of a private school, and a lawsuit ensued. They explain how to utilize relevant research regarding the prognosis of victims of sexual abuse to address the forensic issues of psychological injury and future damages.

Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with substance use disorders.

This practice parameter describes the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with substance use disorders and is based on scientific evidence and clinical consensus regarding diagnosis and effective treatment as well as on the current state of clinical practice. This parameter considers risk factors for substance use and related problems, normative use of substances by adolescents, the comorbidity of substance use disorders with other psychiatric disorders, and treatment settings and modalities.

Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with enuresis.

Enuresis is a symptom that is frequently encountered in child psychiatric evaluations. Careful assessment is required to identify specific urologic, developmental, psychosocial, and sleep-related etiologies. For most children with enuresis, however, a specific etiology cannot be determined.

Practice parameter for use of electroconvulsive therapy with adolescents.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be an effective treatment for adolescents with severe mood disorders and other Axis I psychiatric disorders when more conservative treatments have been unsuccessful. ECT may be considered when there is a lack of response to two or more trials of pharmacotherapy or when the severity of symptoms precludes waiting for a response to pharmacological treatment. The literature on ECT in adolescents, including studies and case reports, was reviewed and then integrated into clinically relevant guidelines for practitioners.

Concealment of psychopathology in forensic evaluations: a pilot study of intentional and uninsightful dissimulators.

Dissimulation is the concealment of genuine psychiatric symptoms in an attempt to present a picture of psychiatric health. In this pilot study, the authors set out to demonstrate that defendants may conceal psychiatric illness even in forensic settings, contrary to their apparent self-interest. They reviewed their records for forensic assessments of dissimulators and malingerers and classified dissimulators as "intentional" or "uninsightful" depending on whether their concealment of symptoms appeared to be a volitional act or driven by a lack of insight.

Child custody evaluations.

Because divorce is so common, it is important for our society to find ways to minimize the psychological trauma that is experienced by children of divorced parents. Ideally, divorcing parents would not fight so much over the children, in front of the children, and through the children. When disputes do arise regarding custody, visitation, and parenting plans, mental health professionals can assist the judges who make the final decisions by performing competent custody evaluations.

Practice parameter for the prevention and management of aggressive behavior in child and adolescent psychiatric institutions, with special reference to seclusion and restraint.

This parameter reviews the current state of the prevention and management of child and adolescent aggressive behavior in psychiatric institutions, with particular reference to the indications and use of seclusion and restraint. It also presents guidelines that have been developed in response to professional, regulatory, and public concern about the use of restrictive interventions with aggressive patients with regard to personal safety and patient rights. The literature on the use of seclusion, physical restraint, mechanical restraint, and chemical restraint is reviewed, and procedures for carrying out each of these interventions are described.

Practice parameter for the use of stimulant medications in the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults.

This practice parameter describes treatment with stimulant medication. It uses an evidence-based medicine approach derived from a detailed literature review and expert consultation. Stimulant medications in clinical use include methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, mixed-salts amphetamine, and pemoline.