Lindsay Clancy fallout: Psychologist warns patients who have STOPPED taking meds after murders
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DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS: Fears of overmedication have grown after mother Lindsay Clancy was accused of strangling her three children while she was on meds, an expert said. The defense counsel for Clancy claimed that the medications were to blame for his client's troubling behavior, but clinical psychologist Katayune Kaeni warned that this claim might be harmful to expectant mothers.
"A lot of people have stopped taking medications that are working for them because they are now worried that what happened to Lindsay is gonna happen to them," the perinatal mental health expert told The Sun. She added, "Certainly, people could be overmedicated, that is a potential, but it's not something that I see regularly."
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Clancy, a Massachusetts nurse, is charged with using exercise bands to suffocate her three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and the 7-month-old baby, Callan, on January 24. Prosecutors said that she reportedly attacked the children in her Duxbury home while her husband, Patrick, was out getting dinner. She then flung herself out of the window in what the authorities said was a failed suicide attempt and Patrick returned to find her seriously injured.
Lindsay Clancy was on several drugs
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington claimed during a preliminary hearing that Clancy's prescription drugs caused her to behave like a "zombie" by referencing a previous stint at a mental health facility. He stated that she received more than a dozen prescriptions for drugs between October and January, including Ambien, Valium, and Lamictal.
Dr Kaeni's warning against quitting medication cold turkey
Meanwhile, Dr Kaeni, who is also a member of the Postpartum Support International board, issued a strong caution against stopping medications abruptly because it can have a negative impact on someone's already fragile mental health. "Unfortunately, it actually puts the person at a much higher risk if they are stopping medications," the doctor said. She added, "It can have really negative effects on their mental health. It's heartbreaking for me and us in the field to hear that people are scared of medication now when actually medications can be really lifesaving."
The mental health professional did acknowledge that pharmaceutical side effects can occur when it is administered incorrectly. Dr Kaeni explained, "If somebody has an undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and they are given a medication like an SSRI (medication typically used as an antidepressant), it can potentially swing them into a manic state. So, that's why getting history is so important." In order to identify potential risks associated with labor and postpartum care and to create a plan to combat such problems, Dr Kaeni advised expecting parents to consult a mental health specialist.
