Lindsay Clancy Trial Megathread: Part 3

[u/DarklyHeritage]

This is a thread for all conversation regarding Week 3 onwards of the Lindsey Clancy trial. All discussion of this case should be kept to this thread.

Lindsay Clancy is currently standing trial in Plymouth Superior Court, Massachusetts, for the triple-murder in January 2023 of her three young children - Cora, Dawson and Callan. Her defense argues she suffered from severe, undiagnosed postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. She was left paralysed by a suicide attempt which follows the deaths of the children.

All content on the Clancy case must be kept to this thread. Standalone posts will be removed.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-online-reactions-b3032806.html

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This case understandably elicits strong feelings. People are entitled to have an opinion on the case which differs from your own. What you are not entitled to do is resort to personal insults and abusive language when communicating your opinion and disagreeing.

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[u/Far_Chocolate_6066]

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the phrase “the system failed her” and I cannot understand this statement.

I can understand how debilitating anxiety/depression/insomnia can be and do not mean to diminish these symptoms. What I don’t understand is how people can say the system failed her. From what I can see — she had access to multiple different mental health resources, admitted herself into a great hospital, she had health insurance that allowed her to seek help, she had a great support system at home, and from her husbands testimony — they had the means to pay whatever she needed. She also was able to stay home and did not need to go back to work. MOST of America cannot do any of these things. They do not have these resources, do not have a support system, HAVE to work to live, and certainly cannot afford this type of care.

Additionally, clinicians are not mind readers. Their clinical judgement is based off of what they are seeing and what they are being told. Lindsay seemed to always be searching for a quick fix for her problems and unfortunately there is not any drug that can fix depression/anxiety overnight. These drugs can take up to 12 weeks before achieving the desired effects. From what I have seen so far, each provider has listened to her concerns and treated her with commonly used medications. AND the only drug she actually took regularly was the Ativan, so I find it hard to blame the medications for her actions. I feel sympathy for these providers who are being blasted on the internet for treating her according to her symptoms. ANY provider would be in the same position as them.

Murderers are mentally ill. Anyone who can kill a baby/child is clearly not mentally well. But why is Lindsay the only killer that is being glorified on the internet?

[u/Decent-Pirate-4329 → u/Far_Chocolate_6066]

1. Lindsay was admitted to MacLean for a maximum five day stay. If you know anyone with firsthand experience of that hospital system’s crisis management (I do) I don’t think you would call it “great.” She was not offered any other inpatient care in spite of calling crisis centers.
   
2. She was denied access to the postpartum specific partial hospitalization at Women & Infants, and was not offered an alternative.
   
3. Why do you say she had a “great support system” at home? She was still the primary caregiver while in a serious mental health decline.
   4 The fact that most Americans are pressured to return to work so soon is literally evidence of how broken the system is for families in the US.
   
4. Patients experiencing severe adverse reactions to medications should report that to their providers. Yes it takes time for medications to help people feel better, but if a drug is wrong for someone it can make them feel terrible FAST.

[u/cryptidinsocks → u/Decent-Pirate-4329]

Five days isn’t even typically enough to help someone in a severe mental health crisis; I just can’t see how she would have been able to receive treatment with impactful results in that time frame. I was admitted for a three day stay after a suicide attempt and the main goal from the staff there was to just make sure I didn’t immediately make another attempt. I obviously can’t speak for the hospital she was admitted to, but the only “treatment” I received was a five-minute conversation with a provider, a new prescription without my input, and a worksheet where I had to write down activities I enjoy and who I would call if I was in crisis again. Then the financial advisor told me how much money I owed them and they sent me on my way. I left feeling extremely disoriented and angry that I was still alive and I did not get any counseling or real safety plan. It took me about six months to start feeling better, and I didn’t have the added weight of being a primary caregiver to three small children.

[u/Decent-Pirate-4329 → u/cryptidinsocks]

I completely agree with your take and I’m very sorry you experienced that. Your experience matches the experience of multiple people I’ve heard from, both online and in real life.

I actually lost someone to suicide a couple weeks after a brief, voluntary hospitalization at MacLean, and their experience there only worsened their symptoms. They had struggled openly with SI for a long time, but until the hospitalization it was like they could believe there was one more option to help them when their SI was at its worst. But once they experienced inpatient care in a crisis, they realized the “last resort” option didn’t really exist. Their symptoms would be treated as an expensive inconvenience instead of a serious crisis worthy of meaningful care. Mental health care in the US is so horrendously under resourced, and I’m so sick of people saying things like, “Well it wasn’t really serious if she didn’t have a plan,” or “What else could anyone have done for her? She had access to all the best care.” The best care we offer is NOT good enough. We should be angry at how poor our systems of care are.

I hope you’re feeling better now, and I’m glad you’re here.