Clancy case raises questions about lack of maternal mental health care

The trial of Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her three young children, ended in a mistrial. But the question of whether the maternal mental health system is equipped to treat psychiatric emergencies remains. In an article published in September, a researcher noted that there is a heartbreaking trend of mothers facing criminal charges after acts of child murder. What makes Clancy's case stand out is this: she was a labor and delivery nurse at a top medical center. “Resourceful, medically literate, and psychologically attuned, on paper, she seemed to have every advantage: access to care, parental leave, a supportive family—perks not shared by many US residents,” writes a Harvard psychiatrist. “Yet her care was siloed across locales and specialties, a far‐from‐ideal model for psychiatric treatment in general, but particularly dangerous in acute perinatal crises.”