Many parents in crisis do exactly what the system tells them to do: they ask for help again and again, see multiple clinicians, take prescribed medications, and still fall through the cracks. The story of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother whose repeated pleas for help preceded an unimaginable family tragedy, has become a stark symbol of how our health-care system can fail people with severe perinatal mental illness.


Two recent civil lawsuits, filed against multiple clinicians and institutions, allege that Lindsay and her family were consistently “moved along” instead of being meaningfully protected. Whether or not every legal allegation is eventually upheld, the documents paint a haunting picture of missed opportunities, fragmented care, and system-level blind spots that are far from unique.


This article is not about re-trying the case in public or assigning individual blame. Instead, it uses what has been reported about the Clancy case to:

  • Explain how severe postpartum and perinatal mental health problems can escalate.
  • Show where health systems often break down, even when a patient is asking for help.
  • Offer practical, evidence-informed steps families can take to better navigate care and advocate for safety.


Exterior view of the Boston hospital complex associated with the Lindsay Clancy case
The lawsuits in the Lindsay Clancy case allege multiple failures across clinicians and institutions within the health-care system.

Reporting in outlets such as The Boston Globe has underscored how complex, overburdened, and sometimes inconsistent our mental health services can be—especially around pregnancy and the postpartum period.


What the Lindsay Clancy Lawsuits Reveal About Systemic Failure

According to the civil complaints and contemporary reporting, Lindsay Clancy was not someone who quietly deteriorated in isolation. She:

  • Sought help repeatedly from the medical system.
  • Was evaluated by multiple professionals at different levels of care.
  • Was prescribed a range of psychiatric medications.
  • Reported significant symptoms that interfered with daily life and parenting.

Yet the allegations describe a familiar pattern: short visits, focus on medication tweaks, limited coordination among providers, and a tendency to discharge her back home without a robust safety plan, even as her functioning worsened.


“When care is fragmented and clinicians aren’t communicating, the burden of coordination falls on the patient and family—often at a time when they are least able to carry it.” — Perinatal psychiatrist, academic medical center (paraphrased from clinical commentary)

The lawsuits argue that this pattern was not only inadequate but negligent, given what clinicians allegedly knew about her worsening condition. At the same time, the case shines a light on broader issues:

  1. Perinatal mental health risks are still underestimated in routine care.
  2. Systems often treat each visit in isolation instead of seeing a dangerous trajectory.
  3. Family concerns and “gut feelings” may be documented but not fully acted upon.

Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, and Psychosis: What Families Need to Know

Perinatal mental health problems (during pregnancy and up to a year postpartum) are common, but their severity and form vary widely.


  • “Baby blues” affect up to 80% of new mothers: mood swings, tearfulness, irritability in the first 1–2 weeks. These usually resolve on their own.
  • Postpartum depression (PPD) affects an estimated 10–15% of mothers. It involves persistent sadness, loss of interest, guilt, sleep problems, and sometimes thoughts of self-harm.
  • Postpartum anxiety/OCD can bring intense worry, racing thoughts, and intrusive images. Parents often find these thoughts distressing and ego-dystonic—they don’t want them.
  • Postpartum psychosis is rare (roughly 1–2 per 1,000 births) but a psychiatric emergency. It may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and a break from reality.


Research from sources such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Women’s Mental Health emphasizes that early recognition and intensive support can dramatically reduce risk for both parent and child.


How the Health System Often Fails Parents Like Lindsay

The Clancy lawsuits describe a sequence many families will recognize, even if the outcomes in their own lives were less catastrophic. Typical failure points include:


1. Fragmented Care and Poor Communication

Obstetricians, primary-care clinicians, psychiatrists, therapists, emergency departments, and inpatient units may see the same person—but rarely around the same table. In reported details of the Clancy case, multiple clinicians were involved, yet each seemed to act on a narrow slice of information.

  • Medication changes by one clinician may not be fully communicated to others.
  • Emergency visits may focus on immediate risk but not long-term planning.
  • Outpatient clinicians may underestimate risk based on a single, calm-appearing visit.

2. Over-Reliance on Brief Risk Screens

Many systems use standardized tools (like the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) or ask “Are you thinking of harming yourself or your baby?” These are important, but they’re not perfect. People may:

  • Feel ashamed or afraid that honest answers will trigger child protective involvement.
  • Minimize symptoms because they want to go home.
  • Struggle to describe delusional or intrusive experiences.

3. Underestimating Family Observations

In case after case (not only Clancy’s), partners and relatives later report that they flagged serious changes—paranoia, bizarre statements, or extreme anxiety. Yet documentation and follow-up may treat these as “collateral” rather than central safety data.


Families often see the 24/7 reality clinicians don’t. When they say, “Something is very wrong,” that should trigger a higher level of concern—even if the patient appears composed in a 20-minute visit.

4. Limited Access to Intensive, Specialized Programs

Ideal treatment for high-risk cases often includes perinatal psychiatry programs, mother–baby units, or intensive outpatient care tailored to postpartum needs. In much of the U.S., these resources are scarce, have wait lists, or are out of network.


A Composite Case: When “Doing Everything Right” Still Isn’t Enough

To protect privacy, clinicians often describe composite examples. Here is a scenario that combines features of multiple real-world cases and echoes themes in the Clancy lawsuits:


A 32-year-old mother develops intense anxiety and depression after her second child. She:

  • Calls her OB’s office repeatedly, reporting sleep loss and panic.
  • Sees a psychiatrist who changes medications several times over two months.
  • Visits the emergency department twice for suicidal thoughts, but is discharged with outpatient follow-up because she denies intent in the moment.

Her partner tells clinicians, “She’s not herself—she’s talking about the kids being better off without her.” Notes mention this, but no one clearly owns the overall safety plan. Eventually, she attempts suicide at home, fortunately without harming anyone else.


In hindsight, every clinician involved believed they were following standard practices. But no one paused to say: “We need to treat this as a perinatal psychiatric emergency and coordinate a higher level of care.”


Practical Steps for Families Navigating Perinatal Mental Health Care

The burden should not fall primarily on families, yet in today’s system, advocacy can make a real difference. Within the limits of what’s reasonable and safe, here are ways to push for better care:


1. Treat Sudden, Severe Changes as Medical Emergencies

If a pregnant or postpartum parent shows signs of psychosis, talks about death as a “solution,” or is dramatically unlike themselves, go to the emergency department or call your local crisis line—even if they insist they’re fine.

  • Bring a written list of recent symptoms, medications, and concerning statements.
  • Clearly say: “We are very worried she is not safe to be alone with the children.”
  • Ask directly: “Is hospitalization or a higher level of care appropriate today?”

2. Document and Share a Timeline

Fragmentation is less dangerous when families help connect the dots. Consider keeping:

  1. A simple timeline of when symptoms started or worsened.
  2. A list of all medications, doses, and changes (with dates).
  3. Notes on sleep, appetite, energy, and any suicidal or homicidal statements.

Share this document with every clinician. Ask that it be scanned into the medical record.


3. Use Clear, Specific Language About Risk

Instead of “She seems off,” consider saying:

  • “She said, ‘I think the kids would be better off dead.’”
  • “She hasn’t slept more than two hours a night for a week.”
  • “She’s describing voices telling her the baby is in danger.”

Concrete examples help clinicians understand the severity and pattern.


4. Ask for Coordination and Clarify Who’s in Charge

It is reasonable to ask:

  • “Who is the main clinician responsible for her mental health care?”
  • “Can you coordinate with her OB/psychiatrist/therapist and document a shared plan?”
  • “What should we do, step-by-step, if symptoms escalate again?”


5. Know About Specialized Resources

When possible, look for:

  • Perinatal psychiatry clinics (often at academic medical centers).
  • Intensive outpatient or partial-hospital programs specializing in mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum.
  • Support organizations such as Postpartum Support International (PSI), which offers a helpline and provider directory.

A Visual Snapshot of Safe Perinatal Mental Health Care

New mother talking with a health professional while holding her baby
Compassionate, coordinated mental health care during the perinatal period can reduce risk and support recovery.

Family consultation with a doctor reviewing mental health notes
Including partners and family in safety planning helps ensure that warning signs are recognized and acted upon.

Woman in a virtual therapy session on a laptop
Telehealth options can increase access to perinatal mental health specialists, particularly in underserved areas.

What Needs to Change at the System Level

No amount of individual advocacy can fully fix structural problems. The Clancy case, whatever the final legal outcome, is already prompting renewed calls for:

  • Routine, repeated perinatal mental health screening across pregnancy and the first postpartum year, as recommended by ACOG and other professional bodies.
  • Better access to specialized perinatal psychiatry services, including mother–baby units and integrated care models.
  • Clear protocols for high-risk situations, ensuring that severe symptoms or family alarms trigger multidisciplinary review, not just one clinician’s judgment.
  • Support for clinicians facing complex risk decisions, including consultation with perinatal experts.

Policymakers and health systems can draw on guidance from organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and CDC reports on maternal mortality, which highlight mental health and substance use as leading contributors to maternal deaths.


Before vs. After: What Better Care Can Look Like

Most parents will never face the kind of extreme tragedy reported in the Clancy case, but they may recognize elements of the “before” picture:


Stressed mother sitting on couch with head in hands while holding her baby
Before: Parents can feel isolated and overwhelmed when their distress is minimized or misunderstood.

After: With coordinated professional care and peer support, many families find a path toward safety, stability, and connection.

Evidence-based treatments—such as psychotherapy, carefully managed medication, and structured social support—do not guarantee a perfect outcome, but they significantly improve the odds of recovery and reduce risk for both parent and child.


Moving Forward: Honoring Pain by Building Safer Systems

The Lindsay Clancy case is heartbreaking. For many people, simply reading about it can stir fear, anger, or painful memories. It is possible to acknowledge that pain and still hold onto two truths:

  1. Most parents with perinatal mental illness, even when severely ill, never harm their children.
  2. Serious, sometimes life-threatening symptoms do occur—and our systems do not always respond adequately.

If you’re struggling right now, or you love someone who is, you are not alone—and you are not weak for needing help. Perinatal mental health conditions are medical problems that deserve the same seriousness and compassion as any other complication of pregnancy or birth.


On a personal level, you can:

  • Speak openly about symptoms, even when they feel scary or shameful.
  • Involve trusted family or friends in appointments and safety planning.
  • Reach out to specialized organizations and peer supports.


As lawsuits, investigations, and policy debates continue, one constructive way to honor families affected by tragedies like the Clancy case is to insist on better: better screening, better coordination, better access to specialized care. Every time a parent’s early warning signs are taken seriously, a safety plan is strengthened, or a crisis is averted, that insistence makes a difference.


If this article resonated with you, consider sharing it with someone who might need the reminder that asking for help is not a failure—it is a courageous, necessary step toward protecting both yourself and the people you love.