Learning Points: Parental alienation not good for the nation
The World Health Organisation recently recognised the existence of parental alienation as a condition. The concept of parental alienation was first coined by Dr Richard Gardner in the 1980s, and refers to the behaviour of one parent against another whereby they deliberately estrange a once loved parent from their children during an acrimonious separation.
The inclusion of it in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases came as great relief to anyone working in the therapeutic space as clinicians have been dealing with this phenomenon for many years.
