The Lindsay Clancy Case: Postpartum Psychosis, the Insanity Defense & Where Accountability Meets Mental Illness

Send us Fan MailThe Lindsay Clancy case has reignited difficult conversations about postpartum psychosis, postpartum depression, maternal mental health, the insanity defense, and criminal accountability. But when social media reduces a complicated case to a headline or a 60-second take, important questions can get lost.In this episode of Steel Roses, we look beyond the true-crime spectacle and examine what the Lindsay Clancy case can teach us about how society understands—and often misunderstands—postpartum mental illness.We break down what an insanity defense actually asks a jury to decide, why being mentally ill is not necessarily the same as being legally insane, and whether two uncomfortable truths can exist at once: a person can be responsible for an unimaginable act while also suffering from profound psychiatric illness.At the center of this case are three children whose lives matter, and we discuss why conversations about maternal mental health cannot allow their deaths to become secondary to courtroom arguments or diagnoses.We also explore the critical difference between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, why confusing the two can increase stigma for mothers experiencing mental health symptoms, and what medical guidance says about recognizing warning signs that require urgent psychiatric care.Most importantly, we ask a bigger question: Why does our healthcare system so often wait until a mother is in crisis before taking postpartum mental health seriously?What should happen when a new mother says:“Something is wrong.”“I can’t sleep.”“I’m afraid to be alone.”“I don’t feel like myself.”And why can postpartum care not simply end with a screening questionnaire and a six-week follow-up appointment?This episode is about more than one criminal case. It is about maternal mental healthcare, postpartum support, stigma, advocacy, accountability, and what happens when women ask for help but the systems around them are not equipped to respond.If this conversation hits close to home, share this episode with someone who needs it and save it as a resource. Subscribe to Steel Roses, leave a review, and join the conversation:What would meaningful maternal mental health support actually look like in your community?Support the showLove this content? Check out our links below for more!Linktr.ee ContentInstagramYouTubeJenny's LinkedIn