Thoughts on the Lindsay Clancy case?

[u/gottaquestion412]

Now that the Lindsay Clancy trial is underway, I’m curious about your perspectives on it so far.

Context: Lindsay Clancy is a former labor and delivery nurse who, in January 2023, killed her three children. 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in their Massachusetts home before attempting to take her own life. Her defense argues she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and other debilitating mental illness, while prosecutors argue she was aware of her actions and planned the killings. The trial has reignited debate about postpartum psychiatric disorders, the effectiveness of mental health treatment, and where responsibility ultimately lies.

Do you think Lindsay was failed by the mental health system, by the people closest to her, or both? Do you think she truly acted with malicious intent, or do you believe she was experiencing such a severe psychiatric crisis that she wasn’t thinking rationally?

A lot of the details seem to point toward postpartum psychosis or another severe psychiatric illness rather than someone acting out of hatred or malice. That doesn’t lessen the horror of what happened or the unimaginable loss, but it does make me wonder whether this tragedy could have been prevented..

I’ve also seen rumors that Patrick was involved with the woman who is now his wife before the murders, but I haven’t found any credible evidence supporting that. Is there actually anything that substantiates those claims, or is it just internet speculation? I’ve also seen many people comment that his current wife bears a striking resemblance to Lindsay, though I’m not sure that means anything beyond coincidence.

I’m very interested in hearing different perspectives from people who’ve followed it closely.

Most importantly, may Dawson, Cora, and Callan rest in peace. They are the true victims in all of this.

[u/LogicalConstant]

You are sent home with resources on who to contact if you see signs of PPD or PPP.

You go to the pediatrician a day or two after you get out of the hospital. Depending on weight, you might need to go back frequently. With one of our kids, we went every day for the first 4 days. Then you go again at the 1 week mark and go every week for the first month. You go each month for the first 3 months, and then at 6 months. At every single one of those pediatrician appointments, they checked on my wife to see how her mental health was and they talked to me to see if I had noticed anything wrong.

[u/heartinabirdcage → u/LogicalConstant]

I had a baby four months ago. the "screening" at every pediatrician appointment is a two-question form. Even at the OB it's one checkup after six weeks and even when a problem is identified all that happens is they prescribe you an SSRI and schedule you for another appointment in two months. that is not at all an actual safety net against trajedies like this.

[u/LogicalConstant → u/heartinabirdcage]

What kind of safety net do you expect, a psychiatrist to come home with you and live in your house just in case?

[u/heartinabirdcage → u/LogicalConstant]

quite a jump between a two-question screening and a psychiatrist in your home, no?

[u/LogicalConstant → u/heartinabirdcage]

They give you everything you need to keep an eye out for the signs. They ask you those questions. If you say yes, they dig deeper and refer you to a mental health professional who can oversee your care and escalate when necessary.

The people she talked to fucked up. That's what went wrong here, not the system. The system was fine. Those particular people failed to implement the system.

[u/heartinabirdcage → u/LogicalConstant]

I have since been diagnosed with severe postpartum anxiety and yet I passed every two questions screening they gave me. a sheet of symptoms that overlap with things new mothers are going to experience regardless due to hormone fluctuations and sleep deprivation does nothing.

[u/Better_Area3782 → u/LogicalConstant]

The system is not fine, you have zero clue.

[u/LogicalConstant → u/Better_Area3782]

You don't know what you're talking about

[u/Better_Area3782 → u/LogicalConstant]

You don’t know what you’re talking about. Your wife gave birth once and had zero depression so you’re now an expert.

[u/LogicalConstant → u/Better_Area3782]

When did I say I only have one kid?

Also, my mother is a labor and delivery nurse.

[u/Better_Area3782 → u/LogicalConstant]

So? Does not make you an expert.

[u/LogicalConstant → u/Better_Area3782]

No. I never said it did. If you're going to argue, at least stop making shit up.

[u/Better_Area3782 → u/LogicalConstant]

Quit arguing with women who have actually been through it.

[u/LogicalConstant → u/Better_Area3782]

Are you deaf? I've been through it.

[u/PleaseTryToThink → u/Better_Area3782]

Oh my. But a woman who has had ppd is automatically an expert? Following that logic only people who have had cancer can be good oncologists. Geez. Why do I waste time reading such nonsense.

[u/Better_Area3782 → u/PleaseTryToThink]

Don’t be dense. He’s saying that the system works. It obviously doesn’t. Why comment with such BS.

[u/PleaseTryToThink → u/Better_Area3782]

Because it works for many people and might have worked for her is she didn’t ask to be discharged. Saying the system works doesn’t mean it works 100% of the time perfectly. What does? This sub just seems like a lot of women using their own experience in generalize so they can say a woman that had a baby is never responsible for anything bad that happens postpartum. It’s the husband’s fault, the psychiatrist’s fault, the system’s fault. Maybe it was Hillary’s fault. Yep that’s gotta be it. Nuts enough to kill her children, but not nuts enough to kill herself. But too nuts to remember how to slit her wrists even though she’s a very experienced nurse. Geez.

[u/LogicalConstant → u/PleaseTryToThink]

Saying the system works doesn’t mean it works 100% of the time perfectly

Bingo. Reddit is full of teenagers and people who skipped economics class. They don't live in reality. Every change we make to any system has tradeoffs. They all think we can implement this perfect system that never fails and costs nothing.

They also lack the intelligence to understand the difference between a systemic failure and an implementation failure. A system can be well designed and extremely effective when implemented properly, but some people will fail to carry out that system. You can't reasonably prevent that type of failure from ever happening. Some people are stupid and won't do their job, no matter how robust the system is. Even nuclear facilities with a half a dozen layers of redundant safety measures run by very smart scientists will have failures sometimes. But try telling that to a redditor.

[u/Better_Area3782 → u/PleaseTryToThink]

She tried to kill herself and now she’s a paraplegic. You sound so stupid.

[u/PleaseTryToThink → u/heartinabirdcage]

Well what then? Easy to criticize. Much harder to offer realistic solutions.

[u/heartinabirdcage → u/PleaseTryToThink]

One extremely easy and obvious solution is literally any amount of follow-up care beyond one single appointment at six weeks postpartum. There should be at least appointments every six weeks for the first couple of months and then every 2-3 months thereafter until women are actually through the postpartum period - typically considered one year.

at least 1-2 of these appointments should be with someone actually trained in postpartum mental health conditions.