INTRODUCTION TO PARENTAL ALIENATION DATABASE

This online database pertains to parental alienation, a mental condition in which a child – usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict separation or divorce – allies strongly with one parent (the preferred parent or alienating parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the target parent or alienated parent) without legitimate justification.

This database contains more than 1,000 books, book chapters, and articles published in mental health or legal professional journals.  Most of these references pertain directly to parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome; some of the references pertain to a closely related topic such as divorce, child custody, parenting time, or sexual abuse.  Newspaper and magazine articles and unpublished presentations at professional meetings are not included, unless they are unusually important.

The most robust topic in this database is qualitative and quantitative research regarding parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome.  Qualitative or descriptive research refers to scores of professional articles and book chapters – usually by mental health professionals – that document the phenomenon of parental alienation.  There are important, but fewer, references regarding quantitative research.  Clinicians and researchers have published material on the prevention of parental alienation.  There have also been important articles, chapters, and books on the treatment of parental alienation.  In order to provide a comprehensive resource, this database includes criticisms of parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome.  The most vivid accounts of parental alienation are books written by rejected parents who relate in detail the events in their own families.  The international scope of parental alienation is reflected by references in this database from 35 countries on six continents.

Most of this database was originally published in Parental Alienation: The Handbook for Mental Health and Legal Professionals (2013).  The publisher, Charles C Thomas, has given permission to incorporate that bibliography into this database.  This database has been a joint project of the Parental Alienation Study Group (www.pasg.info) and Knowledge Management at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  To suggest additions or corrections to this database, contact William Bernet, M.D. (william.bernet@vanderbilt.edu).

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