Postpartum Pardon by Shell Kaesebier

docx

School

University of Illinois, Springfield *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

CCJ 353-2

Subject

Psychology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by MagistrateFalconMaster991

1 Postpartum Pardon Shell Kaesebier University of Illinois: Springfield CCJ 353: Psychology of the Offender Stephen J Giannangelo May 3, 2023

2 There are two potentially deadly illnesses that women face once they become a mother. The first is the lesser of the two Postpartum Depression and the most severe case of Postpartum Psychosis. Both severities of the two mental illnesses can be managed with doctor's care and, if necessary, hospitalization. This leaves an important question. Do postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis receive a pardon in court? Many women go through different types of emotions after giving birth. Most new mothers will suffer from a case of baby blues. However, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with postpartum depression. Symptoms of postpartum depression include trouble sleeping, appetite changes, severe fatigue, lower libido, and frequent mood changes. She can also have feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and helplessness . (Debra Fulghum Bruce, 2023) If left untreated or undiagnosed, postpartum depression can become a more severe diagnosis of postpartum psychosis. Postpartum psychosis affects 1 in 1000 women after giving birth. Postpartum psychosis involves symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, agitation, heightened energy, depression, anxiety, confusion, severe insomnia, constant mood swings, and feeling disconnected from your baby. (Slivinski, 2022) In more straightforward terms, you may lose your sense of reality. "About 5% will attempt suicide, and 4% will commit infanticide.” (Chuck, McShane, & Davidson, 2023) When it comes down to the difference in the three types, outside of their severity, it is in the time from birth that a woman shows symptoms, recovers from symptoms, or the progression of symptoms. One note I found interesting came from an article in 2018 stating that postpartum depression and “maternal isolation” can intensify the chances of becoming postpartum psychosis. (Pandika, 2018) Postpartum can alter a mother’s perception of reality, leading to delusions, hallucinations, and mental breakdowns. Many cases have noted that Postpartum played a factor in the woman's mentality during her crime. Some have successfully used Postpartum as a defense for those mentally unfit to stand trial or guilty by reason of insanity. Some mothers who have been convicted or used the insanity plea because of postpartum include Andrea Pia Yates – who drowned her five children in

3 the bathtub; Deasia Watkins - who decapitated her 3-month-old baby; Lisette Bamenga - who drowned her children and placed them in a carbon-monoxide filled room, Carol Coronado who cut her children’s throats and then stabbed them in the heart, and a plethora more. [ CITATION Van19 \l 1033 ] After hearing of a mother who has murdered her own child, we are left with more questions than answers. I ask myself, "Is she mentally fit to stand trial? This question is a double-edged sword. Do I think she belongs in prison or an institution due to her heinous act? My answer is that if the diagnosis can be presented and supported, then I do not believe she belongs in prison. The prison system will be unable to offer her the treatment needed, and she will not be able to function as a human being. In the prison system, she will likely lose the battle with postpartum depression and commit suicide. Case Study : Andrea Pia Yates Age at time of crime : 36 Years Old Method : Drowning Date : June 20, 2001 Victims (In order of death) : Paul Abraham Yates (3 Years), Luke David Yates (2 Years), John Samuel Yates (5 Years), Mary Deborah Yates (6 Months), and Noah Jack Yates (7 Years) On June 20, 2001, Andrea Pia Yates committed the most unthinkable act any mother could ever do. Andrea filled the bathtub with water three inches from the top and began the most horrendous act. She started with Paul, three years old, placing him face-first into the bathtub. She then laid Luke's limp, lifeless body on the master bed, face up, and covered him entirely with a sheet. Then followed Luke, two years old, placing him face first into the bathtub. Next, she took Luke's soaking wet, motionless body, put him on the master bed face up, then covered both back up with the sheet. Then Andrea takes John, five years old, and places him into the water face first into the bathtub until he dies. She carries Paul to the master bed and puts him

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 next to Luke and Paul. This next one was hard for me to stomach. Then it's Mary's "turn.” Mary has been in the bathroom the entire time, is now crying, and is too young to realize what happened to her siblings. Andrea takes Mary, places her in the bathtub face-first, and leaves Mary in the water. Every child has struggled with Andrea when placed and held in the water. She then calls for Noah. Noah comes to the bathroom and sees Mary floating in the water; he asks his mom what happened, and she grabs him to put him in the bathtub. Noah tried to run, but Andrea, being an adult, overpowered Noah and placed him face-first into the water. She struggles to hold Noah under the water. Noah, fighting back, gets his face out of the water a few times. One time, when Noah got his head above water, Noah gasped, "Mommy, I’m Sorry.” (Unmideas, 2011, 0:11:07) As Noah's lifeless body floats in the now shallow tub, Andrea takes Mary and lays her next to John in between his arm and body. Shen then covers the four children with the sheet one last time. At 9:48 AM, Andrea calls the local police stating that she needs an officer to come to the house in an unsteady voice. The dispatcher, Dorene Stubblefield, tries to get answers as to why, but Andrea would not say outside of someone had been hurt and that Andrea was ill. Then the call ended. At 9:56 AM, Andrea called Rusty's cell while he was at work. All Andrea would tell Rusty is, “It’s time.” Treatments and Hospitalizations Andrea's first hospitalization happened just four months after Luke was born. Andrea took 40-50 50mg tablets of Trazadone in the afternoon on June 18, 1999. [CITATION Suz04 \p 34 \l 1033 ] She was taken to Ben Taub Emergency Room and then admitted to the Methodist Hospital. During the intake, Andrea stated that her intentions weren't to kill herself but just to go to sleep. The nursing staff noted that Andrea felt hopeless. Dr. James Flack, a psychiatrist, took

5 over the treatment after admission. His notes included minimal speech, retarded psychomotor activity, paucity of thought, depression (shocker), affects extremely limited, attention is poor, and is having delusional guilt of being a bad mother. [CITATION Suz04 \p 34-35 \l 1033 ] These symptoms and notes align with postpartum depression, per the definition. Dr. Flack started Andrea on 50mg of Zoloft (an anti-depressant). During Andrea's hospitalization, she and Rusty met with Norma Tauriac, a Licensed Social Worker, for counseling. Ms. Tauriac's notes of Andrea included that Andrea could not identify any stressors in her life that would have triggered her current situation. (O'Malley, 2004, pp 35). Ms. Tauriac even noted that she believed Andrea should be diagnosed with postpartum depression. Ms. Tauriac could not make that diagnosis because she was not a licensed physician. Upon Andrea’s discharge from the hospital, Dr. Flack increased Andrea’s Zoloft to 150MG. In his discharge notes, he noted Andrea was in stable condition, quite depressed, and that the family had agreed to help watch after Andrea, and they knew of the risk of Andrea hurting herself. This itself is contradictory. She is stable but is at risk of hurting herself. Dr. Flack also noted in his discharge that Andrea was being discharged because of her insurance coverage. (O'Malley, 2004, pp 37) Andrea was also to follow up with another psychiatrist for ongoing care. An appointment was made and attended on July 1, 1999, where Dr. Eileen Starbranch would prescribe Zyprexa (An anti-psychotic). Dr. Flack's official diagnosis was "Major Depression, Single Episode, Severe." [CITATION Suz04 \p 35 \l 1033 ] The second of four hospital stays would be from Andrea's attempt at suicide on July 1, 1999. During the intake, we found out that Andrea flushed the Zyprexa because she believed that she was not crazy and that she was taking the Zoloft inconsistently. Andrea's symptoms now include audio/visual hallucinations, anxiety, and worry. These symptoms would lead Dr.

6 Starbranch to diagnose Andrea with postpartum psychosis. Dr. Starbranch would change Andrea’s depression diagnosis from single episode to recurrent. [CITATION Suz04 \p 39 \l 1033 ] With the new diagnoses, Dr. Starbranch prescribed Haldol and Cogentin injections every three weeks. The injections ensured that Andrea was taking the medication as intended. Andrea was in the hospital for a total of 19 days. Upon discharge, Andrea would be placed into a Partial Hospitalization Program. Andrea must come into the hospital for groups, therapy, and treatment. Andrea could go home to be with her family after the sessions. While Andrea was in this treatment, she remained compliant. During one of Andrea's sessions with Dr. Starbranch, Andrea mentioned that she wanted to have another child and to come off of the medications. Dr. Starbranch told Andrea and Rusty that Andrea should remain on her medications and that having more children would be detrimental to Andrea's mental health. Both Andrea and Rusty replied, “We will have as many children as nature allows!” [CITATION Suz04 \p 41 \l 1033 ] Andrea stopped the medications Dr. Starbranch prescribed shortly after her discharge. Andrea admitted to her close friend that she had begun to hear voices and felt possessed. She thought that Satan could hear her thoughts. In March 2000, during the apparent psychotic break, Andrea became pregnant with Mary. Mary was born on November 30, 2000. Now Andrea is back in the "danger zone" for postpartum depression and psychosis. A few months after Mary was born, Andrea's father passed away. Andrea started to present a catatonic behavior of "zombie,” like standing and sitting, rapid foot tapping, skin picking, not eating or drinking, becoming nearly non-verbal, minimal sleeping, and hallucinating. [CITATION Suz04 \p 45 \l 1033 ] On March 31, 2001, Rusty took Andrea to Devereux Texas Treatment Network for the third hospitalization. Rusty informed the staff of Andrea's medical history, medications, and suicide attempts in the past. Rusty and the doctors could not convince Andrea to sign herself in

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 for treatment. They tried to get Andrea court-ordered to be admitted into the hospital. Andrea's mental health battle with postpartum psychosis declined rapidly in the next couple of days. On April 2, Dr. Mohammad Saeed applied for enforced medication by submitting an application to the judge. Dr. Saeed mentioned Andrea's diagnosis, current diminished mental capacity, refusal to eat and drink, paranoia, limited to no speech, and the lack of motivation since Mary's birth in the letter. [CITATION Suz04 \p 48 \l 1033 ] He also expressed that this would be imperative for Andrea and could mean life or death. With no court order yet, Dr. Saeed prescribed Effexor 37.5 MG, Wellbutrin 100 MG, and Restoril 30 MG for the symptoms of postpartum psychosis. [CITATION Suz04 \p 48 \l 1033 ] Andrea took these medications willingly at this time. Andrea then signed herself in for treatment to avoid being forcibly admitted to Austin State Hospital (Asylum). Throughout the third hospitalization, Andrea would be described as severely depressed, basically mute, and paranoid. During group sessions, Andrea was noted to be disconnected and staring blankly into the distance. She would only eat and drink if Rusty gave it to her or when taking her medication. Andrea was discharged on April 12, 2001, and placed back into the Partial Hospitalization Program again. She only went to one session and then refused to go back. She was discharged from the program on April 18, 2001. Over the next couple of days, Andrea's demeanor and mental health diminished once again. Andrea was experiencing the same symptoms as before. However, Andrea would space out for hours. Then, on May 3, 2001, she filled her bathtub with water. She explained to her mother-in-law, "In case I need it." It was apparent that the medication was not working for Andrea. The next day, May 4, 2001, Rusty and her brother loaded her into the family car and took her to the hospital for the fourth hospitalization. She was catatonic again. Dr. Saeed prescribed

8 2 MG of Haldol to help with the symptoms. There were no significant changes in Andrea's mental health during this stay of eleven days. She still did not communicate or participate during group sessions. She was discharged on May 14, 2001, and, again, placed into the Partial Hospitalization Program with attendance to one program. Andrea would go to three follow-up appointments in Dr. Saeed's office. On the second appointment, Dr. Saeed discontinued Haldol. He noted that Haldol could be masking any improvement in Andrea's depression due to the side effects of the medication. [CITATION Suz04 \p 55 \l 1033 ] Andrea was in a constant state of paranoia now. She wasn't taking care of her basic needs, neglecting her children, and returning to the catatonic stage again. Then tragedy struck a few days later. Andrea's mental illness won. During interviews with Andrea, she stated that she killed her children because they could not be saved. [CITATION Suz04 \p 75 \l 1033 ] This reasoning and motive were a complete 360 from her reasoning for killing herself prior. From the suicide in June 1999, Andrea stated she wanted to kill herself to save her children's souls by sacrificing herself. Andrea was in a constant delusion that she was a bad mother, and because of this, she needed to take her own life. Andrea never did believe that she was mentally ill. Analysis – Not guilty by reason of insanity Andrea’s battle with mental illness was the only consistency during the hospitalizations. She presented the same symptoms on multiple occasions and could not seem to get the help she needed. With the doctors, each one had their way of treatment, but the only one that seemed to get ahold of Andrea was Dr. Starbranch. I think the only mistake here was the partial hospitalization. (On every attempt by every doctor.) It appeared that while Andrea was in

9 Dr. Starbranch’s care and medicated, Andrea was “herself.” Rusty had mentioned that it seemed to be the woman he had married. In “Are You There Alone” by Suzanne O’Malley, I read that none of the therapy groups addressed depression or postpartum. Instead, the groups seemed to all focus on chemical dependency, and Andrea did not have that issue. So, these groups would not help Andrea and would probably be frustrating because they would not offer Andrea the therapy needed. I think the only benefit of this program was that Andrea was under constant supervision while Rusty worked, which gave her a break from being surrounded by her children. I noted that postpartum and maternal isolation can affect a mother. Andrea had little time to herself and was always in “mom mode.” After all of the hospitalizations, all of the medicines, attempts of suicide, catatonic episodes, becoming mute, thoughts of being a bad mother, and hallucinations, her mind had to be exhausted. Andrea struggled with taking her medications. She never thought that she needed them or that she was mentally ill. She did not want to create a dependency on medications. She was in a constant state of delusion. This delusion hid all the signs of her psychosis from herself. I believe this led her to attempt suicide in her parent's house. As previously stated, she wanted to sacrifice herself to save her children. She truly believed her "sacrifice" of her own life would save her children. In a way, it would, but suicide is never the answer. Andrea was undoubtedly mentally ill and could not distinguish right and wrong. She thought that she was saving her children by killing them. She felt that they were damned and not growing correctly mentally. She felt that her “sacrificing” the children would save them from sins in the future.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

10 Case Study : Deasia Watkins Age at time of crime : 20 years old Method : Decapitation Date : March 16, 2015 Victims: Jayniah Watkins (3 months old) On March 15, 2015, Deasia Watkins was in her aunt's house with her baby, Jayniah Watkins. Deasia took a chef's knife and stabbed her baby multiple times. [CITATION Ass17 \l 1033 ] She ended up decapitating her baby by the end of the slaying. Deasia placed the knife in the baby's hand. Deasia did this so that people would think that the baby did it to herself. Symptoms and Actions Prior In the preceding weeks to the murder, Deasia was noted as hearing demons, acting out of character, and had been seen by child services three times in approximately ten days leading up to when she killed her baby. Deasia was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis and was not to be around the child alone. She was not to be around the child unless she had been taking her medications. Deasia was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis in January 2015 following an incident where she would not let anyone take Jayniah from her. [ CITATION NBC15 \l 1033 ] Baby Jayniah was given to Deasia’s aunt at this time for the baby’s safety. About a week before the murder, Deasia moved in with her aunt. Analysis – Guilty but mentally insane In this case, I have to agree with the court system of Ohio. I believe that Deasia Watkins is guilty, but mentally insane. I think she knew what she did was wrong because she placed the knife in her daughter’s hand so that people would think the baby did it. I honestly don't know how anyone would believe that a three-month-old child would be able to do that. Deasia may

11 have been suffering from postpartum psychosis, but in the end, I do not believe that she was in a psychotic state when she committed the murder. Conclusion Women have a battle not only because they are becoming new mothers. They have a risk of Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis. At the end of the diagnosis, I believe it is how we, as women, cope with the diagnosis and if we remain vigilant to the symptoms of the illness. The court systems have recognized postpartum as a mental illness for many years. However, there is no guarantee that the diagnosis will get any leniency from the courts. As with any mental illness, there are chances that the defense will not work. In my opinion, it all depends on how the facts are presented in the case. Like in the instance of Deasia Watkins. She had a diagnosis of postpartum psychosis but was still guilty of her actions. Deasia tried to hide that she committed the crime. Then we have Andrea Yates who had postpartum depression that developed into postpartum psychosis. Andrea called 911 herself after the murders and admitted to the murders later in interrogation.

12 References Associated Press. (2017, 15 March). Mom who decapitated baby gets 15 years to life in prison . Retrieved from 10 WBNS: https://www.10tv.com/article/news/mom-who-decapitated- baby-gets-15-years-life-prison/530-1ca97f2f-5d87-42ea-8485-9ca2defc2af3 Chuck, E., McShane, J., & Davidson, M. (2023). What is postpartum psychosis? Rare condition is in the spotlight after the killing of three children in Massachusetts . Retrieved from NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/postpartum-psychosis-rare- condition-spotlight-killing-three-children-m-rcna68165 Debra Fulghum Bruce, P. (2023). Postpartum Depression . Retrieved from Web MD: https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/postpartum-depression NBC News. (2015, March 18). Ohio Mom Accused of Beheading 3-Month-Old Daughter Spoke of 'Demons': Court . Retrieved from NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime- courts/ohio-mom-accused-beheading-3-month-old-daughter-spoke-demons-n325686 O'Malley, S. (2004). Are You There Alone? New York: Simon & Schuster. Pandika, M. (2018, May 1). A Psychiatrist Told Us Why Her Patient Killed Her Kids . Retrieved from The Vice: https://www.vice.com/en/article/d35bqq/why-women-kill-children Rapisarda, V. (2019, January 28). 10 Mothers Who Lost The Battle To Postpartum Depression . Retrieved from Running In Triangles: https://runningintriangles.com/10-mothers-who- lost-the-battle-to-postpartum-depression/ Slivinski, N. (2022). Postpartum Psychosis: What It Is and What to Do About It . Retrieved from Web MD: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/postpartum-psychosis-overview

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Postpartum Pardon by Shell Kaesebier

Related Documents