Amy J. L. Baker

The Long-Term Effects of Parental Alienation on Adult Children: A Qualitative Research Study

A qualitative retrospective study was conducted on 38 adults who experienced parental alienation as a child. Individuals participated in one-hour semi-structured interviews. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim, and submitted to a content analysis for primary themes and patterns. Findings pertaining to the long-term effects of parental alienation were analyzed for this article. Results revealed seven major areas of impact: (1) low self-esteem, (2) depression, (3) drug/alcohol abuse, (4) lack of trust, (5) alienation from own children, (6) divorce, and (7) other. These seven themes are discussed at length to provide the first glimpse into the lives of adult children of parental alienation.A qualitative retrospective study was conducted on 38 adults who experienced parental alienation as a child. Individuals participated in one-hour semi-structured interviews. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim, and submitted to a content analysis for primary themes and patterns. Findings pertaining to the long-term effects of parental alienation were analyzed for this article. Results revealed seven major areas of impact: (1) low self-esteem, (2) depression, (3) drug/alcohol abuse, (4) lack of trust, (5) alienation from own children, (6) divorce, and (7) other. These seven themes are discussed at length to provide the first glimpse into the lives of adult children of parental alienation.

Parental Alienation, DSM-V, and ICD-11

Parental alienation is an important phenomenon that mental health professionals should know about and thoroughly understand, especially those who work with children, adolescents, divorced adults, and adults whose parents divorced when they were children. We define parental alienation as a mental condition in which a child—usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict divorce—allies himself or herself strongly with one parent (the preferred parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated parent) without legitimate justification. This process leads to a tragic outcome when the child and the alienated parent, who previously had a loving and mutually satisfying relationship, lose the nurture and joy of that relationship for many years and perhaps for their lifetimes. The authors of this article believe that parental alienation is not a minor aberration in the life of a family, but a serious mental condition. The childs maladaptive behavior—refusal to see one of the parents—is driven by the false belief that the alienated parent is a dangerous or unworthy person. We estimate that 1% of children and adolescents in the U.S. experience parental alienation. When the phenomenon is properly recognized, this condition is preventable and treatable in many instances. There have been scores of research studies and hundreds of scholarly articles, chapters, and books regarding parental alienation. Although we have located professional publications from 27 countries on six continents, we agree that research should continue regarding this important mental condition that affects hundreds of thousands of children and their families. The time has come for the concept of parental alienation to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), and the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Edition (ICD-11).

The Long-Term Correlates of Childhood Exposure to Parental Alienation on Adult Self-Sufficiency and Well-Being

In this retrospective study, we examined several long-term psychological correlates of experiencing parental alienation (PA) as a child, defined as reporting that one parent tried to undermine the childs relationship with the other parent. Differences between those who did and did not endorse having this experience were measured on self-sufficiency and four aspects of well-being: alcohol abuse, depression, attachment, and self-esteem. Results indicated significant associations between perceived exposure to parental alienation as a child and lower self-sufficiency, higher rates of major depressive disorder, lower self-esteem, and insecure attachment styles as adults. This research suggests that there are significant long-term psychological associations in the lives of adults who experienced parental alienation as children, which created observable vulnerabilities that differ from normative divorce situations.

Patterns of Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Qualitative Study of Adults Who were Alienated from a Parent as a Child

A qualitative retrospective study was conducted on 40 adults who experienced parental alienation as a child. Individuals participated in one-hour, semi-structured interviews. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and submitted to a content analysis for primary themes and patterns. Findings pertaining to the process of alienation from the targeted parent were analyzed for this article. Results revealed three distinct patterns of alienation (1) narcissistic alienating mothers in divorced families, (2) narcissistic alienating mothers in intact families, and (3) abusive/rejecting alienating mothers and fathers. Each of these patterns is described in detail along with five additional notable finings: (1) Alcoholism, maltreatment, and personality disorders co-occurred in most of the alienating families, (2) parental alienation occurred in intact families, (3) parental occurred in non-litigious divorced families, (4) some of the targeted parents appeared to play a role in their own alienation, and (5) the alienat...A qualitative retrospective study was conducted on 40 adults who experienced parental alienation as a child. Individuals participated in one-hour, semi-structured interviews. Audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and submitted to a content analysis for primary themes and patterns. Findings pertaining to the process of alienation from the targeted parent were analyzed for this article. Results revealed three distinct patterns of alienation (1) narcissistic alienating mothers in divorced families, (2) narcissistic alienating mothers in intact families, and (3) abusive/rejecting alienating mothers and fathers. Each of these patterns is described in detail along with five additional notable finings: (1) Alcoholism, maltreatment, and personality disorders co-occurred in most of the alienating families, (2) parental alienation occurred in intact families, (3) parental occurred in non-litigious divorced families, (4) some of the targeted parents appeared to play a role in their own alienation, and (5) the alienation was not always completely internalized. The clinical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. 1Dr. Baker also conducts research at the New York Foundling Hospital.

Italian College Student-Reported Childhood Exposure to Parental Alienation: Correlates With Well-Being

Two hundred and fifty-seven undergraduate psychology students in Chieti, Italy completed an anonymous and confidential survey regarding their childhood exposure to parental alienation, psychological maltreatment, and measures of current functioning. Results revealed high levels of reported exposure to parental alienation behaviors by those whose parents divorced or separated and by those who reported that—regardless of marital status—their parents’ relationship was “very bad.” Those with any exposure to parental alienation reported higher rates of parental psychological maltreatment, lower rates of parental caring, as well as poor functioning with respect to self-esteem, depression, adult attachment styles, alcohol abuse, self-direction, and cooperation. These findings support the theory that parental alienation represents a risk factor for compromised outcomes across the life span.

Knowledge and Attitudes About the Parental Alienation Syndrome: A Survey of Custody Evaluators

A survey study (response rate n = 106, 75.7%) was conducted of professional custody evaluators to assess their beliefs and attitudes about the parental alienation syndrome (PAS). Three overarching research questions were addressed: (1) To what extent do custody evaluators endorse the concept of PAS (2) How, if at all, do custody evaluators assess PAS and aspects of it (including general quality of parent-child relationship, extent to which child has been coached and/or is unduly influenced, and extent of parental personality disorders associated with PAS), and (3) What factors were associated with the proportion of cases that evaluators concluded PAS had occurred. Results revealed general consensus regarding the concept of PAS (familiarity with it, importance of measuring it) as well as several areas of disagreement (whether it should be included in the DSM, whether it meets Daubert and Frye standards). Evaluators who reported greater familiarity with PAS also reported having cases with more good faith allegations of it, which itself was associated with concluding that PAS had occurred in a greater number of cases. Findings suggest several avenues for improved practice and for future research.

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. About 75% of the sample reported some exposure to parental alienating behaviors; 15% of the sample endorsed the item, “tried to turn me against the other parent.” The results revealed strong and statistically significant associations between reported exposure to parental alienating behaviors and reports of current symptomatology.

Foster Children Caught in Loyalty Conflicts: Implications for Mental Health Treatment Providers

Fifty-two foster parents participated in a two-hour training on the topic of children caught in loyalty conflicts. Prior to and following the training attendees completed measures including one in which they rated their foster childrens exposure to 15 different family situations which research indicates are likely to induce feelings of loyalty conflict in children. Analyses of these data indicate that each of the situations was endorsed by between one fourth and one half of the sample. Three-fourths of the foster parents endorsed at least one of the situations, with the average number 5.5. Implications for clinicians working with this population are discussed.

Even When You Win You Lose: Targeted Parents' Perceptions of Their Attorneys

A survey was conducted of adults who self-reported being targets of parental alienation. Two research questions were addressed: (1) what proportion reported experiencing their attorneys as caring, competent, diligent, communicative, and providing advice regarding interactions with other professionals on the case, and (2) to what degree was the most recent primary attorney perceived to be helpful and competent by these same standards? 150 individuals were randomly selected from a database of people who had personally contacted the author regarding parental alienation (with the assumption that some e-mails would no longer be valid and that some of the individuals would not be targeted parents, which was true for 34). Of 116 possible responses, 76 surveys were returned, resulting in a response rate of 66%. Responses to the survey revealed almost uniformly negative views of attorneys, with several areas being particularly troubling. These results offer several concrete ways in which attorneys and their targeted parent clients can work together better.

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. The authors conclude that exposure to ABs in childhood represents a risk factor for subsequent poor mental health.