• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Rare and tragic cases of postpartum psychosis are bringing renewed attention to its risks and the need for greater awareness of psychosis after childbirth

April 13, 2023
in Article
Rare and tragic cases of postpartum psychosis are bringing renewed attention to its risks and the need for greater awareness of psychosis after childbirth
Postpartum depression affects approximately 1 in 8 mothers in the U.S. Postpartum psychosis is far more rare, occurring in about 1 in every 500 deliveries. Justin Paget/Stone via Getty Images

Lindsay Clancy, a labor and delivery nurse at the prestigious Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is the latest tragic and high-profile example of a mother allegedly taking the lives of her own three children.

On Jan. 24, 2023, Clancy allegedly strangled the children with an exercise band while her husband ran an errand. Clancy then slit her wrists, cut her neck and jumped from the second floor of their home. She has been hospitalized since, apparently paralyzed from the waist down following her suicide attempt.

At her arraignment, Clancy’s defense lawyer stated that she may have been suffering from an extreme form of postpartum depression called postpartum psychosis. Other women have made this claim, including Andrea Yates, a Texas woman who in 2001 drowned her five children in a bathtub. She was convicted of capital murder at her first trial, but after a successful appeal, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity in her second trial.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 8 mothers, or approximately 12%, experience postpartum depression. Cases of parents killing children, in contrast, are exceedingly rare, with estimates of about 500 of these tragic events per year in the U.S.

Many people wonder whether a psychiatric condition, no matter how severe, could justify or explain the killing of innocent children, especially by their own mother.

As a clinical and forensic psychiatrist, I routinely treat patients after delivery for depression, and I have evaluated women accused of killing their children. The potentially fatal outcomes make it imperative to increase awareness and understanding of postpartum depression and psychosis.

Table of Contents

    • Postpartum depression explained
    • Risk factors for postpartum depression
    • Postpartum depression treatments
  • How postpartum psychosis differs
    • What experts know about Clancy’s Case

Postpartum depression explained

It is important to make a distinction between “postpartum blues” and postpartum depression. Research shows that between 15% to 85% of women have “postpartum blues,” and the incidence peaks around the fifth day following delivery. Postpartum blues can include low mood, tearfulness, irritability and feeling overwhelmed. It is a totally normal, transient condition thought to be a result of the rapid drop in hormone levels following delivery.

True postpartum depression is more severe than postpartum blues. This term refers to when the patient is experiencing symptoms of a clinical depressive episode, also called “major depressive episode,” usually within the first month after delivery.

Postpartum depression is defined as experiencing two weeks or more of some or all of the following symptoms: depressed mood for most of the day, diminished interest or pleasure in most activities, weight loss, inability to sleep or excessive sleep, physical slowing or agitation, fatigue, poor concentration and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. The medical community estimates that postpartum depression is very common, with rates of 10% to 20% in the U.S., and the true numbers may be higher.

Baby blues are characterized by worries such as “Am I a good mom?” that typically pass within a few weeks after childbirth, whereas postpartum depression involves longer-lasting feelings of disconnectedness.

The onset and duration of postpartum depression can vary greatly. For some patients, the first weeks and months after delivery may go well or mood symptoms may be manageable, followed months later by a “crash.” For others, mood symptoms may begin during pregnancy and worsen after delivery.

Diagnosis can be difficult since the time of onset is variable and because some of the symptoms of depression are normal, temporary changes that occur after delivery. In addition, research shows that cultural factors can influence the reporting and development of postpartum depression, and some patients may not disclose symptoms due to guilt or shame.

Risk factors for postpartum depression

Some key risk factors for postpartum depression include a history of depression or mental illness prior to pregnancy, stressful life events during and after pregnancy, marital conflict and young maternal age.

New mothers are under a great deal of pressure – personal, familial and societal – to immediately bond with and love their children. The stress and burden of being a new parent, and the tasks that go along with this role, such as breastfeeding, often make bonding with the child a challenge. The patient may struggle with feelings of guilt and shame, which can delay or prevent seeking help.

While the physical causes of postpartum depression remain mysterious, researchers believe the condition is caused by hormone fluctuations during and especially after pregnancy. For example, research suggests that sex hormones like estrogen, which reach high levels during pregnancy and then fall precipitously after delivery, as well as hormones like oxytocin that are involved in lactation and maternal-baby bonding, likely play an important role. During and after pregnancy, the brain is on a hormonal roller coaster, and this can wreak havoc on mental health.

Postpartum depression treatments

For mild cases, psychotherapy alone may be sufficient to reduce the symptoms and gradually restore a sense of well-being. Approaches such as interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy have been shown to be helpful for those suffering with postpartum depression. Interpersonal psychotherapy, for example, focuses on improving interpersonal connections, while cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on correcting distorted thinking, such as believing that one is a “bad” parent.

The mainstay of treatment for postpartum depression is medication. Given the probably strong biological underpinnings of this condition, medication is thought to be helpful in restoring neurochemistry to alleviate symptoms, such as by raising brain levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Breastfeeding patients may prefer psychological treatment to medication therapy since antidepressants can enter breast milk. To date, however, antidepressants do not appear to have an affect on the infant’s health or development.

How postpartum psychosis differs

Postpartum psychosis is a condition where maternal mental health is affected not just by depression, but by a break with reality.

The break with reality, called “psychosis,” generally includes seeing or hearing things that don’t exist – called hallucinations – having jumbled or disconnected thoughts or having fixed false beliefs, often of a bizarre or extremely implausible nature, such as the devil having entered into one’s child. For example, in the Andrea Yates case, she professed to believing that she was marked by Satan and that the only way to save her children from hell was by killing them. Some patients may hear an auditory hallucination – meaning a powerful voice – commanding suicide or an attack on the infant.

This condition is much less common than postpartum depression and is thought to occur in 1 in 500, or 0.2%, of deliveries in the U.S. Also, unlike postpartum depression, which can begin months after delivery, postpartum psychosis usually begins within the first three days following childbirth.

Due to the severe nature of these symptoms, their rapid onset and the frequent presence of thoughts of harming oneself or the baby, postpartum psychosis is considered a psychiatric emergency. It usually results in psychiatric hospitalization for the patient’s and the baby’s safety. In many cases, postpartum depression and its extreme form, postpartum psychosis, go undetected by loved ones and health care providers because of a reluctance to acknowledge that the patient may be a danger to oneself or the child.

What experts know about Clancy’s Case

Lindsay Clancy reportedly suffered from anxiety about going back to work in September 2022, four to five months after giving birth to her third child. She was diagnosed with anxiety and prescribed anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants.

In December 2022, Clancy was evaluated at a women’s psychiatric clinic, where she was told she did not have postpartum depression. However, a short time later she told her husband she was having thoughts of harming herself and the children, and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. She was discharged after a few days and reported that her suicidal thoughts had resolved. However, just a few days later, she allegedly strangled her three children.

If accurate, this timeline indicates how difficult it can be to diagnose possible postpartum depression and psychosis, and that symptoms may fluctuate on a daily or even hourly basis. Mothers may not always disclose symptoms due to guilt, shame or fear about how it could impact their family.

Clancy’s tragic story illustrates how important close mental health follow-up and treatment is for women suspected of having postpartum depression. And when suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming the children are present, they must be treated as a potential psychiatric emergency.

The Conversation

Ziv E. Cohen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

ShareTweetSharePin
Next Post

Junior doctors: why pay isn't the only reason thousands are striking

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021

4 steps to building a healthier relationship with your phone

January 28, 2025

Why Circadian Rhythms Matter for Your Health

July 30, 2024
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
Biden is getting prostate cancer treatment, but that’s not the best choice for all men − a cancer researcher describes how she helped her father decide

Biden is getting prostate cancer treatment, but that’s not the best choice for all men − a cancer researcher describes how she helped her father decide

May 20, 2025
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021

Maximize Your Performance – Sync with Your Circadian Rhythms

August 9, 2024
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022

This Simple Hygiene Habit Could Cut Your Risk of Stroke, New Research Reveals

February 1, 2025

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021
woman covered with white blanket

Exploring the Impact of Sleep Patterns on Mental Health

August 4, 2024
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
FDA limits access to COVID-19 vaccine to older adults and other high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules

FDA limits access to COVID-19 vaccine to older adults and other high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules

May 21, 2025
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

January 28, 2025
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS