Trigger Warning: This article addresses sensitive topics related to suicide and murder. Please reach out to the national suicide and crisis lifeline (988) if you or a loved one need help.
Conversations about maternal mental health are currently trending due to the ongoing trial of Lindsay Clancy. She is currently facing three counts of first-degree murder for killing her three children. While Clancy is not refuting her actions, she is claiming the insanity plea to plead not guilty. Her defense claims she was experiencing postpartum psychosis while committing the murders. This polarizing case has left social media in a frenzy. Some highlight the importance of maternal mental health, while others are utterly disgusted by Clancy’s actions.
Postpartum Psychosis
Psychosis is a mental state defined as a disconnect from reality that involves hallucinations and delusions. Postpartum psychosis (PPP) is a mental health condition that can impact people after giving birth. While it can coincide with postpartum depression, the two are not the same. Postpartum psychosis is a more severe mental health condition that requires urgent intervention.
Postpartum psychosis is a rare condition that impacts less than one percent of new mothers. As a result, it is a condition that is under-researched, with limited knowledge of the exact cause of this mental illness. Some factors that can trigger Postpartum psychosis are a history of mental health issues, sleep deprivation, hormone changes, and the number of pregnancies.
In Clancy’s case, she was suffering from an undiagnosed bipolar disorder and sleep deprivation before the murders. People with a history of bipolar disorder are at high risk for experiencing postpartum psychosis. In addition, when she sought help from various healthcare providers, she was placed on a cocktail mix of 13 different antidepressant and psychiatric medications within the span of four months. The defense argues that all these factors contributed to Clancy’s postpartum psychosis and suicide attempt after killing her children.
Despite the horrific events that transpired, Clancy’s ex-husband believed her severe mental state influenced her actions and publicly forgave her. While he also urged others to forgive her, some of the public is unmoved and supports punitive punishment. If Clancy is found guilty, she will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, if she is found not guilty due to insanity, she will be indefinitely committed to a state mental health institution.
Public Response
Some of the public align with the prosecution’s claim that Clancy premeditated the murders of her children. They assert this because she checked driving distances for various locations before sending her husband on an errand. Her internet search history on ways to commit murder also points to intentional premeditation.
The prosecution is also arguing that her murder attempt doesn’t fit the profile of someone who was suicidal. Instead, some of the public believes it was an act of guilt or an attempt to evade accountability for her crime.
In contrast, some of the public is sympathetic to maternal mental health issues. They believe a rational mother would not intentionally kill her children. Instead, they place the blame on the health care system, which over-medicated Clancy instead of diagnosing her with postpartum psychosis. Before the murders, Clancy called two suicide hotlines but was deemed ineligible for help at the time. Despite the limited access to postpartum care, Clancy actually sought out help numerous times without any form of reprieve.
Overlooked Maternal Mental Health Issues
Lack of access to healthcare is a major barrier that prevents new mothers from seeking out postpartum care. Socioeconomic factors such as race, class, and citizenship status have to be considered when accessing public health services. Clancy was fortunate to have access to medical care postpartum, but what about those who lack access?
There is a critical shortage of specialized perinatal inpatient mental health programs that provide access to round-the-clock care for people with postpartum psychosis. With only 5 programs in the US, access is very limited, even for those who can afford it.
Clancy sought access to inpatient mental health care and a specialized postpartum depression program. Despite these efforts to manage her postpartum psychosis, the quality and treatment plan were inadequate. So while access is a barrier for some people, the quality of the care is another factor to consider. The subpar quality in maternal mental health is partially attributed to medical misogyny and capitalism.
@emilyt_therapy Long video, but I felt it important to address the lies and misinformation the prosecution is telling, particularly about McLean Hospital. This is an absolutely tragedy. #lindsayclancy #lindsayclancystory #lindsayclancycase #mcleanhospital #inpatientmentalhealth
♬ original sound – Emily ♡ BPD & CPTSD Therapist
Medical Misogyny is discrimination against women within the healthcare industry. This bias shows up in the care provided through pain dismissal, misdiagnosis, underfunding conditions that impact women, and treating the male body as the default standard when conducting medical research.
Capitalizing on people’s sickness encourages the healthcare industry to treat patients as cash cows. Instead of intentionally looking at the root of Clancy’s symptoms, the convenient response was prescribing medication.
The stigma surrounding mental health is also an important factor when discussing maternal mental health. New mothers may feel guilty for experiencing postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis. As a result, they may force themselves to push through the mental challenges of postpartum or avoid disclosing them to loved ones. The shame and stigma that comes with feeling like a bad mother can be debilitating to confront.
Quality Healthcare Access
Despite your opinion on whether Clancy is guilty or not, an important question is: how can we improve the access and quality of maternal mental health? Why are there baby check-ups but no mother check-ups after giving birth?
Who is considered a sympathetic victim in cases like this? If a Black woman was in Clancy’s shoes, would she receive the same sympathy? Or would she be automatically presumed guilty without any consideration?
Ultimately, we should evaluate the systemic failure of our healthcare system and cultural stigma surrounding mental health.
Crisis support: If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 833-852-6262 (available 24/7)
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