What the Lindsay Clancy trial gets wrong about postpartum psychosis — and what every parent needs to know

571. The trial of Lindsay Clancy — the Massachusetts mother who allegedly strangled her three young children and says she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis — has reopened a conversation the public has been getting wrong for years. Baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis are three completely different conditions. Only one is a psychiatric emergency. This week Dr. Judy Ho explains the clinical distinctions, the warning signs that loved ones and clinicians miss, the systemic failures that allow this illness to go untreated, and the forensic question at the center of the trial: can a person be both sick and responsible?

Have a mental health question? Email Dr. Judy's team at [email protected]

Find Savvy Psychologist on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more psychology tips.

Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyPsychologist

More from Dr. Ho on her other channels:

Dr. Ho's website, Substack, LinkedIn.

Savvy Psychologist is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips. Find a transcript at QuickandDirtyTips.com.

CORRECTION: In this episode I originally misspoke about the burden of proof in lack-of-criminal-responsibility cases. In Massachusetts, once the defense raises the issue, the burden actually falls on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was criminally responsible. I know this — it just didn't come out right on the recording. We remove that line in the audio podcast. Thank you all for listening and for contributing to this important discussion about mental health.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.