Lindsay Clancy Case: Defense Exposes Gaps in Psychiatrist's Postpartum Track Record

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
This is live courtroom coverage of the trial of Lindsay Clancy from the Hidden Killers podcast in True Crime Today. Now, back to the courtroom.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:11)
So, as a psychiatrist who get the ability to issue these types of medications to patients and citizens, what research would you do on Zola, and suicidal ideation, suicidal ideation?

**Jennifer Tufts** (0:27)
I was taught extensively about SSRIs and suicidal ideation in my training. In Vermont, in Boston, yes. Okay.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:37)
So, in Vermont, was when you did your degree, right?
Yes. And in Boston, you were a resident, right? Yes. And you had board certification on general psychiatry, right?

**Jennifer Tufts** (0:52)
Yes.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:52)
You can have a certification on a subspecialty, right?

**Jennifer Tufts** (0:56)
There are some subspecialties, yes.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:58)
Right. And some of the subspecialties deal with post-partum or women that are pregnant and have babies and have psychiatric symptomology.

**Jennifer Tufts** (1:08)
There's no board certification for peri-needle or reproductive psychiatry.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:13)
Well, there are plenty of classes that are recognized at, for example, at Harvard Medical School. There's an annual class or symposium, if you will, for post-partum.
Have you ever been for that?

**Jennifer Tufts** (1:29)
No, sir.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:30)
What have you done to research or to improve your education? I understand you went to med school and maybe were a resident. What programs, continuing education, symposiums have you attended since you got the ability to prescribe these medicines to people?

**Jennifer Tufts** (1:52)
I have not attended a symposium.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:54)
Have you attended anything?

**Jennifer Tufts** (1:57)
I have not, but I have done a lot of reading on my own of research and guidelines about this area in psychiatry.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:09)
Did you tell Lindsay when you were going, one of the things that you guys are always concerned about is what's called informed consent, right?

**Jennifer Tufts** (2:16)
Yes.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:17)
And what is informed consent? What does that mean? In a medical sense, not just like other streets.

**Jennifer Tufts** (2:23)
Explaining to a patient the risks and benefits of treatment and possible alternatives and making sure that the patient understands what you're saying.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:38)
Now, when you were going over the symptomology or when you were going over the side effects of Zoloft, one of the side effects of Zoloft is, and I quote, severe trouble sleeping, right?
Yes. Did you tell her that?

**Jennifer Tufts** (2:56)
Well, insomnia is listed as a side effect.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:59)
No, no, no, no, no.

**Kevin Reddington** (3:00)
You already said yes, you know it. We just, did you tell her that Zoloft has a side effect of giving the patient severe trouble sleeping?

**Kevin Reddington** (3:11)
That's all.

**Jennifer Tufts** (3:13)
So, I didn't use the word severe because it typically doesn't cause severe trouble sleeping, but I thought you were referring to when she told me that she did have severe trouble sleeping.

**Kevin Reddington** (3:25)
Well, that's what you told her, right? That she had severe trouble sleeping, right?

**Jennifer Tufts** (3:28)
She told me, yes.

**Kevin Reddington** (3:30)
And you know that one of the side effects of Zoloft is, let's say, trouble sleeping. You know that, right? Yes.
And your answer is yes? The jury has to be able to give you.

**Jennifer Tufts** (3:41)
Yes.

**Kevin Reddington** (3:43)
And why would you prescribe Zoloft to a young woman who's post-partum, who's coming to you with anxiety, who's telling you she can't sleep, she's got all of these symptoms, and you prescribe a medication that would have a side effect, a trouble sleeping?

**Jennifer Tufts** (4:01)
So, individuals have very varied responses to medications. Some have no side effects, some have one or two. It's impossible to predict that Zoloft is a top choice, a first line medication for where it was consumed.

**Kevin Reddington** (4:16)
Says who?

**Jennifer Tufts** (4:18)
Says, it's the general consensus among psychiatrists.

**SPEAKER_5** (4:23)
Again, we can't have both of you talk at the same time. So, let her finish her answer, and then I'll give you plenty of time to follow up any questions regarding her answer. So, can you finish your answer on that?

**Jennifer Tufts** (4:39)
There's extensive research supporting the use of Sertraline in this instance, and the general consensus among psychiatrists is that it's a first line, safe medication for individuals, including postpartum women.

**Kevin Reddington** (4:56)
How about the kids that shoot other kids in high schools in the law suits that come out of that again? So, can we read about them? Okay, sure.

**SPEAKER_5** (5:03)
Overall.

**Jennifer Tufts** (5:05)
Sorry? I wasn't sure what the question was.