Parental alienation (PA) occurs when one parent intentionally attempts to alienate the child from the other parent using an unjustified campaign of denigration.' The DSM-5-TR refers to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the authoritative text used by mental health experts to define and classify mental disorders. Currently, PA does not appear as a mental health disorder in the DSM-5-TR.

Parental alienation (PA) in the family courts has been a hotly con- tested issue for many years, even decades. However, some attorneys, Guardians ad litem, and litigants have found it difficult to obtain consistent relief from the South Carolina Family Courts on this is- sue due to the lack of this behavior being considered a diagnosable dis- order that is included in the DSM-