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Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
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Postpartum psychosis and the courts.
Melissa L Nau1, Dale E McNiel, Renée L Binder
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. melissanaumd@gmail.com
The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|September 11, 2012
Summary
Legal standards for infanticide defenses vary, but outcomes often hinge on psychosis, not just M'Naughten or Model Penal Code (MPC) insanity rules. Successful defenses in infanticide cases frequently involve demonstrating psychosis.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Legal Medicine
- Criminal Law
Background:
- Mental state defenses are common in infanticide cases.
- Jurisdictional variations exist in legal criteria for these defenses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review infanticide case outcomes using M'Naughten and Model Penal Code (MPC) insanity standards.
- To identify factors influencing court decisions in infanticide cases.
Main Methods:
- Searches of legal databases (LexisNexis, Westlaw) for case law, precedent, and law reviews.
- Internet searches for unpublished infanticide cases.
Main Results:
- Infanticide case outcomes did not solely depend on the insanity standard used (M'Naughten vs. MPC).
- The presence of psychosis was a significant factor in successful mental state defenses.
- States using the stricter M'Naughten standard were not less likely to find defendants not guilty by reason of insanity compared to MPC states.
Conclusions:
- The legal standard for insanity does not appear to be the sole determinant of outcomes in infanticide cases.
- Psychosis is a critical element for successful mental state defenses in infanticide.
- Jurisdictions with stricter M'Naughten standards do not show a lower rate of not guilty by reason of insanity verdicts in infanticide cases compared to MPC states.
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