Comments on: Wrangling over psychiatry’s bible http://followmehere.com/2008/11/16/wrangling-over-psychiatrys-bible/ “I am the world crier, & this is my dangerous career… I am the one to call your bluff, & this is my climate.” —Kenneth Patchen (1911-1972) Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:14:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: FmH http://followmehere.com/2008/11/16/wrangling-over-psychiatrys-bible/#comment-73 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:06:27 +0000 http://egelwan.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/wrangling-over-psychiatrys-bible/#comment-73 The 1996 APA Task Force report, it appears, did not say that PAS is “most often used…” but rather expressed concern that it “could be used” to take custody from mothers and give it to abusive fathers. And if, by your research, there are about an equal number of correct attributions and misattributions of the “syndrome”, wouldn’t you say that further research and clarification is needed to define and operationalize it before it can be included as a diagnosis? But, more important, the most profound objection to this is not whether there is scientific evidence for it or not but whether it should be medicalized. Sure, behaviors exist, but are they worthy of being neurobiological entities? DSM diagnoses are disease processes and treatable as such. PAS appears to be a case of adjustment disorder, a wastebasket category in DSM. I know you won’t agree and I suspect it has much to do with the fact that you seem to be building your career around the dubious entity.

]]> By: Amy J.L. Baker, Ph.D http://followmehere.com/2008/11/16/wrangling-over-psychiatrys-bible/#comment-72 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:18:03 +0000 http://egelwan.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/wrangling-over-psychiatrys-bible/#comment-72 The author of the above comment makes many unsubstantiated statements. It is not true that there is no scientific basis for PAS and it is not true that it is most often used to take custody away from mothers and give it to battering/abusive fathers. In a study I conducted of custody evaluators, false allegations of PAS was seen to be about as common as false allegations of sexual abuse. Although it does occur (false allegations of PAS) that does mean that true PAS doesn’t also occur. The field needs to move in the direction of better being able to differentiate when a child rejects a parent whether that is due to abuse or to PAS. Inclusion in the DSM would facilitate clinicians in this regard.

Amy J.L. Baker, Ph.D.
http://www.amyjlbaker.com

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