Postpartum Depression: Andrea Yates
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
In June of 2001, Andrea Yates was left alone with her 5 children, something that her husband, Rusty and the people in her life were advised not to do. Due to her history of struggling with her mental health, her doctor instructed that she was to be supervised at all times.
Within the hour of Rusty leaving for work and before her mother in law was due show up, Andrea drowned her 5 children. Her youngest, daughter, Mary was just a few months old. Andrea took Paul, Luke and John into the bath tub, drowned them and then proceeded to lay each of them on the bed in the master bedroom. Mary was left floating in the tub. Her brother, Noah then asked if something was wrong with his sister. He then ran only to be caught by Andrea, drowned and then was left in the bath tub. Mary was then placed in her brother, John’s arms in the bed. Andrea had believed that she was saving her children from eternal damnation. She started to show signs mental health struggles after having her first child.
At her trial, Andrea admitted that she waited until Rusty had left for work because she knew that he would stop her from doing it. It was reported that Andrea exhibited severe postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and schizophrenia leading up to the murders.
According to trial testimony in 2006, Dr. Saeed, Andrea’s doctor had advised Rusty Yates not to leave his wife unattended. However, Rusty began leaving her alone with the children in the weeks leading up to the drownings for short periods of time, apparently believing it would improve her independence, despite her doctors' instructions. Rusty had announced at a family gathering the weekend before the drownings that he had decided to leave Yates home alone for an hour each morning and evening, so that she would not become totally dependent on him and his mother for her maternal responsibilities
There was some theories that the medication that Andrea taking caused her to have a mental breakdown and kill her children, but there had been no proof that the amount she was taking would have caused her to commit such a crime.
Andrea was initially convicted of capital murder but had her conviction overturned in 2005 due to flawed testimony during her trial.
In early 2006, Andrea tried to enter a second plea deal of not guilty by reason of insanity. On February 1, 2006, she was granted release on bail on the condition that she be admitted to a mental health treatment facility. On July 26, 2006, after three days of deliberations, Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity, as defined by the state of Texas. She was thereafter committed to the North Texas State Hospital–Vernon Campus. In January 2007, she was moved to the Kerrville State Hospital, a low security mental facility in Kerrville, Texas.
Postpartum depression can be a scary thing to experience. You have so many thoughts, feelings and emotions. You start to feel overwhelmed. It’s hard to see someone go through postpartum and not be able to able to help. You may find that someone’s else journey with postpartum depression is different than yours. If you are struggling with other mental health conditions, it’s going to be hard to navigate and try and understand what’s going on.
Feeling lost and trying to figure out why you’re feeling the way you are is scary because you want to be happy and joyful, you just had a baby, you should feel like everything is right in the world, but your brain just had a different plan. Its better to catch it as early as you can. When the baby goes in for a check-up, use that time to check in with your doctor and tell them how your feeling. Get on it as soon as you can. You need to be there for your baby just as much as the baby needs you.
There are so many people that go through postpartum depression that it can treated. The more help you can get, the better you’re feel. Don’t hide behind it and assume it’s going to end on its own. Once you know what’s going on, the better you’re going to understanding it. You will learn the signs in the future and be able to get ahead of it before it’s too late.
For more information about Andrea Yates and her story, check out the website I’ve linked below.
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