Parental Alienation Syndrome Isn’t in the DSM…Yet

…but It’s in Plenty of Arguments

Parental Alienation Syndrome Isn’t in the DSM Yet, but It’s in Plenty of Arguments

Coined in 1985 by psychiatrist Richard Gardner, PAS describes a set of behaviors exhibited by kids whose parents deliberately turn them against the other parent, through a variety of techniques that are at once coercive, manipulative, vindictive and sociopathic.

“It’s a violent act to a child’s mind,”

Jason Patric tells Newsweek, speaking of PAS, which he says he began investigating following his initial trial to assert his parental rights with Gus. He believes parental alienation is akin to what domestic violence was 40 years ago—a dirty secret that is harming millions but not acknowledged by many mental health professionals.

201106 Parental Alienation: When Parents Break Children's Loving Bonds from Dialogue in Growth