A Massachusetts murder trial that began this week is drawing attention to a rare and severe mental health condition that affects roughly one to two mothers per every 1,000 childbirths.
Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse, has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges in the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter Cora, 3-year-old son Dawson, and infant son Callan. The children died at the family's home in Duxbury on January 24, 2023. According to prosecutors, Clancy attempted suicide the same night and is now paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. She is currently held at a state hospital.
In opening statements Monday, defense attorney Kevin Reddington argued that Clancy was in a state of psychosis when the children died and had not received the care she needed. "Every one of these doctors and nurses knew that she was suffering from postpartum, and now it's turning into psychosis," Reddington said in court. He also argued that she "did not get the medication, did not get the medical treatment that she so deserved."
Prosecutors countered that mental illness does not remove criminal responsibility. Plymouth County assistant district attorney Shanan Buckingham said in opening statements: "People with mental illness commit crimes everyday and are responsible for them. The fact that someone may suffer or have a mental illness, a mental disease or defect is not the end of the inquiry when it comes to guilt or innocence."
The trial, which was scheduled to resume Wednesday, has drawn a distinction between postpartum psychosis and the far more common postpartum depression. Postpartum depression affects as many as 1 in 8 women who give birth, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include withdrawing from loved ones, excessive crying, anxiety, anger, and thoughts of harming oneself or the baby. Those symptoms can last for weeks or months after giving birth.
Postpartum psychosis is far less frequent. According to a 2017 systematic review published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, it affects roughly 1 to 2 mothers per 1,000 childbirths. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists lists symptoms that can include delusions and hallucinations capable of prompting suicidal or homicidal action. ACOG classifies postpartum psychosis as a psychiatric emergency requiring hospitalization and treatment with mood stabilizers and antipsychotics.
The case is being closely watched by mental health advocates and legal observers. Clancy remains in state hospital custody as the trial continues.
