Parental alienation impact on grandparents

What is it about?

This manuscript provides a critical examination of the lived experiences of grandparents who have been denied contact with their grandchildren due to parental alienation. From the theoretical standpoint, we adopted a Life Course Perspective, while methodologically, we employed an interpretive phenomenological analysis. The analysis included 13 interviews with grandparents who are alienated from their grandchildren and unveiled four central themes: (1) The race against time; (2) Denial of grandparents' victim status; (3) Health and functioning consequences of alienation from grandchildren; and (4) Reflections on being a grandparent suffering from PA and insights at this stage of life. The analysis of the narratives through the Life Course Perspective emphasizes the multiple dimension of alienated grandparent victimization. Grandparents struggle with conflicting time perceptions, which make them feel that their time is running out. Grandparents' pain and distress over alienation lead to diminished mental and physical health and a loss of belief in a just world. In the context of the Life Course Perspective, parental alienation represents a salient turning point in grandparents' lives. It prevents them from accomplishing socially desirable goals and creates a new, painful trajectory in their lives along with profound changes in behavioral patterns. Furthermore, grandparents feel that the authorities, the parental alienation movement, and even their own family and friends do not recognize their suffering. Thus, they are denied their grandchildren, their role as grandparents, and even victim status.

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Photo by Jeremy Wong on Unsplash

Photo by Jeremy Wong on Unsplash

Why is it important?

From the theoretical point of view, this research emphasizes the multigenerational ramifications of parental alienation and underlines the unique aspects of grandparent experiences of victimization. These findings are also significant from the clinical standpoint for practitioners responsible for preventing parental alienation and those responsible for older adults' mental and physical health.

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