I’m sure you remember the story of Andrea Yates, the woman who drowned her five innocent children in 2001. I have never been able to fathom how a woman/mother could drown her children in less than one hour in their bathtub, so I decided to do my own research to try and understand. Before the incident Andrea Yates was diagnosed as being depressed and had tried to commit suicide twice before. She was under therapy when given three anti-depressants (Effexor, Remeron, and Remeron SolTab booster). As I was looking into the medications, I found that many of the side effects these medications produce such as, depersonalization and abnormal thinking, aided in her psychosis. Within one year of her incarceration, doctors were able to correctly diagnose her as being Bi-Polar/Manic depressive. Not only were these medications producing psychotic side effects, more importantly, these medications were contraindicated in patients that suffered from mania, bi-polar disorders, and history of suicide attempts. So, in my research I have come to the conclusion that Andrea Yates’ diagnosis should have been further evaluated along with the many medications that her doctor had prescribed.
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Forensic Nursing Chronicles 