Lindsay Clancy case sheds light on maternal mental health crisis

(CN) — In 2023, Lindsay Clancy used an exercise band to strangle her children Cora, Dawson and Callan. She then cut herself and jumped out a second-story window, leaving herself paralyzed from the waist down.As the Massachusetts mother went on trial this year, defense attorneys tried out a legal strategy that would ultimately strike a chord with mothers. Clancy, they said, was suffering from postpartum psychosis, a condition that can cause new mothers to break from reality.Postpartum psychosis is relatively rare, affecting mothers in just around 0.1% or 0.2% of births.Still, many new mothers experience emotional challenges like depression, mood swings and thoughts of harming themselves or their child. So widespread are these struggles that during the first year after childbirth, suicide is the leading cause of death for mothers.Known as postpartum depression or PPD, the condition affects about 1 in 8 of all new mothers, or around 460,000 women each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It’s underdiagnosed, and yet it may be getting more common. In a recent study, researchers found that mothers who rated their mental health as “fair” or “poor” increased 65% between 2016 and 2023.Against this backdrop, many Americans and especially women have found themselves empathizing with Clancy despite the brutal nature of the case.At least some jurors appeared swayed by defense arguments. After trying for days to reach a unanimous verdict, a judge on Sept. 4 declared a mistrial.Aimee Breault of Acushnet, Mass., live-streams a demonstration in support of Lindsay Clancy outside Plymouth Superior Court, where Clancy is on trial in connection with the deaths of her three children, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds )In Plymouth, Massachusetts, supporters rallied outside the courthouse where the trial was taking place. Far beyond, they also gathered in online spaces, expressing hope that the case would serve as a catalyst for change.On her motherhood lifestyle blog Vacationland Mama, Maine mother Ashley Williams began chronicling the case daily. In an interview, she said she hoped the case would “change how postpartum mental health emergencies are recognized and treated.”On her social media pages, where Williams has tens of thousands of followers, she says she’s tried to create a safe space for moms.Even so, she says she fields negative comments — often from men — describing them as “women defending a murderer.” Williams says opinions like these help explain why mothers are afraid to speak out about their mental health challenges. As she put it: “You can be devastated that Cora, Dawson and Callan are gone and still ask what happened to their mother leading up to that night and whether there were opportunities for intervention.”Also among those drawn to the trial was Kristin Bostater, a 27-year-old mother from Cartersville, Georgia.After she and her husband had a boy last summer, Bostater began to struggle emotionally. “I would ball my eyes out almost every single night for the first two months because of how little sleep I was getting,” she said in a phone interview. “I had a lot of thoughts along the lines of, ‘I’m not meant to do this. I’m in no position to take care of a child.’”The experience clashed with what Bostater expected of motherhood.“I thought it would come naturally,” she said.Kristen Bostater, pictured here around 34 weeks pregnant. After giving birth to a son in August 2025, Bostater suffered postpartum depression, a common but often overlooked condition. “I was struggling badly with rage,” she said. (Kristen Bostater via Courthouse News)In reality, the transition was rocky. Bostater experienced sudden highs and lows. “I would become irrationally angry,” she said. “I’d have thoughts of: ‘I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to crawl in a hole and die.’” Then she’d look at her baby and she’d think: “I love him so much, and I can’t imagine life any other way.”The causes of PPD are varied, from postbirth hormonal changes and preexisting mental health conditions to the stress and lack of sleep that can accompany a new child.While more common in women, research shows around 10% of new fathers also get it. Rates are particularly high among Black, Indigenous and multiracial mothers, who face added challenges like reduced access to quality healthcare, implicit bias from providers, higher incidences of traumatic birth experiences and increased exposure to financial instability.Despite its prevalence, research suggests that nearly half of all cases go undiagnosed. Women who face miscarriage or stillbirth can also experience PPD — and when these mothers are included, the number of cases shoots even higher.Jacqueline Cohen, a licensed counselor specializing in perinatal mental health, attributes the underdiagnosis to factors like shame, stigma and cultural norms around motherhood.There’s a misconception that “if a woman is depressed she is going to look depressed,” she said. In reality, “women can be struggling internally [while] still caring for their child and doing everything they need to be doing.”FILE - A police barricade stands outside the former home of Lindsay Clancy in Duxbury, Mass., July 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi, File)During early doctor visits, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends checking new mothers for symptoms. The screening relies on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a short questionnaire that asks mothers to self-report any issues.Some mothers, including Samantha Kelly, have worried about asking for help even when they knew they needed it.“I never felt like I could answer it honestly,” the 31-year-old mother of three from Temple, Georgia, said of the screening. “I was terrified of what would be asked as follow-up questions — and what would happen to my daughter.”For Kelly, relief finally came when she worked up the courage to see a therapist.“I feel like I am myself again,” she said. “I have a spark that makes me want to live a lasting life for my children — and most importantly, myself.”The Covid pandemic may help explain the growing numbers of mothers who report emotional challenges. Since the pandemic, numerous studies have found that Americans have fewer close relationships, increased feelings of isolation and a decreased sense of community.Patterns of loneliness and isolation can be particularly hard on new parents. “The saying ‘it takes a village’ is true,” Cohen said. “Two parents isn’t even enough to care for one baby because everyone needs breaks and just relying on one another is not enough.”Georgia mother Samantha Kelly, 31, right, poses with her husband and their three children for their daughter's seventh birthday party in August 2026. After getting help for postpartum depression, Kelly said: "I feel like I am myself again." (Samantha Kelly via Courthouse News)Those challenges can be even greater for the around 16 million women who are single mothers.“A women’s support system is a very big protective factor,” Cohen added. “If you don’t have a big support system, then it’s going to be harder.”In the United States, other socioeconomic factors can further add to the pressure.Women get less maternity leave and far less paid maternity leave than other developed countries, a University of Washington study found. Meanwhile, millions of mothers don’t have full access to maternity care, with around 149,000 children born each year in “maternity care deserts” that completely lack birthing facilities, according to a recent report from the March of Dimes, a nonprofit focused on maternal and newborn health care.In the digital age, some mothers are able to find support online, including by networking with other struggling parents. Increasingly, they’ve turned to groups like Postpartum Support International, which offers peer support groups and other services.Even so, stories of postpartum depression abound, leading many to sympathize with Lindsay Clancy. “Any little thing that could harm my kids, I was paranoid about to an extreme,” said Georgia mother Lauren Peters. “I could see how those thoughts could drive someone to thinking that their children would be better off not here, because there is a lot of fear and anxiety around raising children and keeping them safe from harmful things.”Lauren Peters, from Paulding County, Georgia, introduces her son, born Jan. 23, 2020, to her firstborn daughter. Like millions of women, Peters suffered from postpartum depression. (Lauren Peters via Courthouse News)Bostater said she too had constant intrusive thoughts about something terrible happening to her baby.“I was struggling badly with rage,” she said.Her husband came home one day to find her weeping. “I cannot do this anymore,” she recalled screaming as she punched a wall. “I hate my life.”Bostater’s life and emotional state have improved since those early days of motherhood.She found a therapist who helped ease her anxiety and the transition into life as a mother. She found comfort and support through a local church and reconnected with her love of dancing, even teaching evening classes for children.“Things are so different than they were a year ago,” she said.Still, she remembers the challenges. It gives her sympathy for those like Lindsay Clancy who have ended up in a dark place.“I know the deep mental struggles that postpartum can cause,” she said. “I wish Lindsay had a better support system of people around her that could have realized how badly she was struggling. I am in no way justifying her actions, but whether it was by family or her doctors, she was failed.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads