The Dr. Phil Show aired two recent episodes on children's mental health and parenting. In his primetime episode, which aired on CBS September 22nd, Dr. Phil highlighted a family whose nine-year-old son was rubbing his feces on the walls of the house, torturing animals, acting violently toward his siblings and was prone to intense tantrums. Dr. Phil informed the parents that their son did not have a behavior problem -- that his problems were the result of poor parenting. He continued by informing the parents that their child had 9 of the 14 characteristics of a serial killer.

"Hundreds of concerned family members have contacted us to express their outrage," said Paige Macdonald, Executive Director of Families Together in New York State, a statewide organization that advocates for families of children with special mental health needs. Macdonald is also the parent of a child diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

"This child clearly needs a thorough evaluation by a trained children's mental health specialist. Never once did Dr. Phil suggest an evaluation or provide information about supports available to this family and child. Instead, he used this as an opportunity to blame and shame parents of a child in need of help."

"By blaming parents, Dr. Phil has created a situation where thousands of families will be reluctant to seek treatment for their child. With suicide being the third leading cause of death for teens, any deterrent to seeking treatment can be devastating," Ms. Macdonald continued.

In the past, it has been a common practice to blame parents of children with a mental health disorder for their child's illness. In the '60's and '70's, mothers of children with autism were commonly referred to as "refrigerator moms," as doctors believed a child's autism was the result of their mothers being "cold" to them.

"I thought we were making strides, in ending stigma toward parents. That finally the layer of blame and shame was peeling away. In a matter of an hour, Dr. Phil has set the family movement back thirty years," says Brooke Schewe, parent of a child diagnosed with ADHD and Director of Outreach for Families Together in New York State. "I am very concerned for the families across the nation who trust Dr. Phil and believe him when he says we can cure our children if we simply work on becoming better parents," explained Ms. Schewe.

In another episode, aired on September 28th, The Dr. Phil Show ran a segment on "Parenting with Pills," which highlighted families whose children had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Dr. Phil devoted most of the episode to discouraging parents from treating their child's ADD/ADHD with medication.

According to David Fassler, M.D., a child and adolescent psychiatrist who serves on the Board of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, a national organization run by family members of children with special mental health needs, "Children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders need a detailed and careful evaluation by a trained and qualified mental health professional. These are complex diagnoses which can't be made in a 5 or 10 minute interview. Fortunately, we can help most children and adolescents who suffer from these conditions, but there are no simple solutions or magic answers. Treatment is also most effective when it's comprehensive and individualized to the needs of the child and family."

A recent report by the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, "Blamed and Ashamed: The Treatment Experiences of Youth with Co-occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders and their Families," explains that, tragically, youth and their families rarely get the kind of help they need at the time they need it. A recommendation of the study states that "support for both youth and families, accurate and useful information, and combined treatment are necessary. Most importantly, youth and families want to be heard and respected."

For more information about Families Together in NYS, go to http://www.ftnys.org/

Information about a comprehensive child psychiatric evaluation is available from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsFam/eval.htm.