An emerging mental health issue in which one parent turns a child against the other parent could be added to the international standard for diagnostics next month.
Research in the field has labelled parental alienation an "unacknowledged form of family violence" and has found long-term mental health consequences for children who experience it, including anxiety, lowered self-esteem and general quality of life, as well as a greater risk of depression. "This is clearly a big problem," says Bala. "I get emails from people coast, to coast, to coast and internationally, raising concerns about being cut off from their children, being cut off from grandchildren."
Fidler and Bala say there is a need for more research into how to better define alienation in its various forms, since not all cases look the same. It's not just a mental health issue, but a legal issue that should require better training for family lawyers and judges, who can put a stop to alienation early.
Parental alienation does not only happen when one parent turns the child against the other parent. It happens when agencies such as The Children's Aide Society turns children against both parents. It is a form of child abuse and should never be allowed to happen.
The WHO my as well add it to the diagnostic guide because it most certainly does exist and it's about time someone officially recognised it.
Leave this in the hands of the courts If not you are going to have every social worker, teacher and busy body sticking their nose where it doesn't belong