Because parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is newly recognized and described, it must be redefined and refined as new cases are observed and the phenomenon becomes better understood. New evidence suggests that alienation may be provoked by other than custodial matters, that cases of alleged sexual abuse may be hinted, that slow judgments by courts exacerbate the problem, that prolonged alienation of the child may trigger other forms of mental illness, and that too little remains known of the long-term consequences to alienated children and their families.
Source, tandfonline.com, link to the original article