Two high-profile cases have propelled a scary mental health condition into the limelight. In both cases, a mother has been charged with murder.
Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery room nurse in Massachusetts, has been charged with the 2023 killings of her three children before trying to take her own life. Earlier this month, a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision, resulting in a mistrial. She is expected to return to court Sept. 29.
Hauntingly, while the jury in the Clancy case was deliberating, a Will County mother of four was arrested in the hanging death of her 2-year-old son. Corie Walsh, of Frankfort, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. She was arrested Sept. 1 after she was discovered submerged in a bloody bathtub, self-harming.
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Both women’s attorneys have claimed their clients suffered from psychotic episodes.
The cases have brought to light a mysterious condition known as postpartum psychosis.
Recently, I chatted with Katherine Hanson, clinical psychologist with Endeavor Health in Evanston and Chicago, about what postpartum psychosis is, and how it differs from the much-more common condition known as postpartum depression.
Q: What is postpartum psychosis?
A: It is a very rare mental health condition that impacts about one or two out of every 1,000 births. We consider it to be very serious, something that would need immediate attention.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The way it impacts somebody’s sense of reality — experiencing hallucinations, seeing or hearing or feeling things that aren’t really there and/or delusions. Delusions are what we consider false beliefs about the world or about other people. The afflicted can feel very strongly about them, strongly believe them, even though there is no convincing reason for holding that thought.
There can also be mood issues. An individual could be depressive, or could be manic.
The condition can present two to three days after birth or it can be delayed and present six to eight weeks after birth.
Q: Do we know what causes it?
A: Unfortunately, we really don’t. Because the condition is so rare, it is difficult to research. We strongly suspect that it’s likely due to a combination of factors, including a history of a mental health condition. About a third of the people who have postpartum psychosis have previously been diagnosed with another mental health condition. Often that is bipolar disorder, what we used to call manic-depression, or major depressive disorder or schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Also, a family history of any of those mental health conditions can raise the risk.
Sleep deprivation can exacerbate the condition. And occasionally other medical conditions, such as thyroid disorder or stroke postpartum, can also exacerbate it.
Q: How is the condition treated?
The treatment is often medication, various types. And it often requires a mental health hospitalization. That doesn’t have to be very long but it often does need to happen to keep the person safe.
Typically, after treatment, the patient will want longer term psychiatric followup with a therapist to help them come to terms with what that experience was. Most people are able to have that.
Most people are OK afterward. It can be a very acute situation but, later on, things can settle down and get much better. That is something to be hopeful about.
Q: How does postpartum psychosis differ from postpartum depression?
A: By frequency and levels of distress. Postpartum depression can be anxiousness or sadness, tearfulness, difficulty sleeping. That’s fairly common. Postpartum depression happens in every one to seven individuals who have given birth. Most people who have it recognize how they’re feeling — pretty bad.
Postpartum psychosis is unique. People just don’t have any idea that their symptoms are problematic. They don’t see the thoughts or the voices as being problematic. So, it’s not likely they’re going to be able to self-report.
Both conditions are not new. But we haven’t talked about them a lot. Not as much as we should. We’re a little more familiar with postpartum depression or “baby blues” or “anxiety disorder” after having a child. We are more open to discussing that.
Postpartum psychosis is not a thing we discuss very often at all because it is rare and because it is an alarming thing. Most people are not super comfortable having discussions about it but it can have pretty tragic consequences if not attended to.
What’s really critical if you’re an individual who might be at higher risk for postpartum psychosis is that you educate yourself and loved ones about what that might look like. Often, the people who will pick it up first will be the people around them — a spouse, other family members. Those people are going to be critical to the identification of this mental health emergency.
Q: What should you do if a loved one seems to be experiencing psychotic episodes?
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A: Get them emergency medical care. Quickly. Call an ambulance. Take them to an emergency room.
It’s often something people are not super eager to discuss but if you have these risk factors or if you have a family member who has experienced this, it is something that I think should be part of a bigger discussion. Certainly, discuss among your spouse and family and bring it to the attention of your medical provider. Tell them that you’re worried about it. Just so people have it on their radar.
Q: Is the condition permanent?
A: Postpartum psychosis is temporary and it is treatable. With treatment, people really do recover and come out on the other side.
Q: What else should we know?
A: In general, mental health continues to carry stigma. Postpartum psychosis very much so. The more we can have conversations and educate people, and not judge people who experience it, the better off we’re all going to be as a society in terms of being able to identify and help people who have that condition.
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years. She can be reached at [email protected].