This article highlights an important issue related to
misinformation in the context of parental alienation
(PA) theory. It identifies the repeated publication
of the same misinformation by writers who had a
relationship with one specific mental health
journal. Gephi software was used to conduct citation
analysis, which identifies and portrays the links
between citing and cited materials. The implication of
this research is that the repeated dissemination of
this false information can lead to significant
misrepresentations of PA theory. Explanations for this
trail of misinformation are explored, including the
explicit anti-PA bias of the journal editors and the
authors’ persistent reliance on friends and colleagues
as sources of information, i.e., the misinformation
echo chamber. This article emphasizes the need for
academic journals and the scholarly community to be
vigilant in preventing the spread of misinformation
and ensuring that the information presented is based
on sound research and evidence.
William Bernet, M.D., a graduate of Holy Cross
College, summa cum laude, and Harvard Medical
School, is a professor emeritus at Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine. He is board certified
in general psychiatry, child psychiatry, and forensic
psychiatry. As an expert in forensic psychiatry, Dr.
Bernet has testified about 300 times in 24 states. Dr.
Bernet has written professional articles and book
chapters on a variety of subjects, including: group
and individual therapy with children and adolescents;
humor in psychotherapy; forensic child psychiatry;
child maltreatment; true and false allegations of
abuse; satanic ritual abuse; reincarnation; child
custody and visitation; parental alienation; testimony
regarding behavioral genomics; and risk
management. In 2007, Dr. Bernet and Judge Don R.
Ash published Children of Divorce: A Practical Guide
for Parents, Therapists, Attorneys, and Judges. Dr.
Bernet edited Parental Alienation, DSM-5, and
ICD-11, which was published in 2010. Dr. Bernet and
his colleagues edited Parental Alienation: The
Handbook for Mental Health and Legal
Professionals, which was published in 2013. He was
the founder and first president of the Parental
Alienation Study Group.
18 сен 2024
