The high-profile murder case of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mom who says postpartum psychosis is behind her killing her three young children, is bringing up a lot of questions about the condition.
Samantha Matuella, psychiatrist with the Mother-Baby Intensive Outpatient Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said that while many people are familiar with postpartum depression, symptoms of sadness and low mood after a mother gives birth, that’s different from postpartum psychosis.
“Essentially, there’s some level of break from reality where they don’t attribute normal cues in a way that someone who is thinking clearly can attribute them,” Matuella said.
She said postpartum psychosis is more rare than postpartum depression, but can occur in any mother, and there are some signs that this may be happening.
“They either get very paranoid about them, or they don’t trust other people or trust their instincts or they can’t remember things the way that somebody normally can. In some people, they hear things or see things,” she said.
Matuella added these symptoms can come and go and are not always consistent, compared with someone who has schizophrenia. She said, because of that, it can make the condition very hard to catch.
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She said it’s also a hallmark of undiagnosed bipolar disorder. For example, Matuella said, “Many mothers don’t sleep almost at all during their psychosis or very little.”
Matuella said the good news is that it’s treatable, but it can’t be ignored.
“If there’s something off, say something, talk to one of your doctors, talk to a family member,” she said.
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