The case of Andrea Yates illustrates the underlying impacts of unmonitored depression or stress, which may result in severe outcomes. According to media reports, Andrea Yates showed vital signs of postpartum depression, which is a form of depression resulting from motherhood and the stresses associated with taking care of young children. In this case, it was clear that Andrea found herself in a situation where she was not able to withstand her increasing stress levels while receiving no help from her immediate family, which in the case was her husband, Rusty. The issue of depression fits into a subset of human development, as it seeks to expose the position that indeed human being is vulnerable to stress and depression. Inability to deal with factors contributing to anxiety or depression may have adverse outcomes considering that one may experience a significant shift in mental capacities (Kloet et al., 2016). The implications of not dealing with stress and depression effectively are that an individual faces mental instabilities, which may result in adverse actions including harming oneself or others within his or her environment. In this case, Andrea Yates met unusual symptoms of postpartum depression resulting in her decision to kill her five children.
From a biological perspective, Andrea Yates’ behavior can be explained by the fact that she experienced severe stress levels, which resulted in hallucinations as part of the brain's reaction to high-stress levels. Havranek, Bolliger, Roos, Pryce, Quednow, & Seifritz (2016) argue that the brain's reaction to stress and depression may vary from one individual to another, but the outcome is that one faces critical risks of mental incapacities. In the case of Andrea, her brain experienced scarcity concerning the neurotransmitter serotonin, which may have acted as one of the key factors prompting her decision to kill her children.
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From a behavioral perspective, Andrea Yates’ behavior can be viewed as a natural response to the symptoms associated with postpartum depression. The fact that Andrea was facing a high risk of postpartum depression due to lack of support from her husband acts as a clear indication that she suffered a high risk of exposure to negative behaviors. In this case, it is clear that her husband, Rusty, did not offer the expected support that she expected, which is a critical factor that may have contributed to her stress levels. Thus, this can explain her behaviors taking into account that indeed Andrea faced a severe risk of mental incapacities, which would influence her ability to comprehend her actions.
From a social-cultural perspective, Andrea Yates’ behavior would be explained as being inhumane considering that she exposed her children to untold suffering with little or no regard for their feelings. Although psychologists may vary regarding their view of Andrea's actions, it is clear that her actions may have been prompted by the fact that she was experiencing severe levels of depression. However, her immediate social environment would not view this particular perspective, as Andrea would be considered to be in lack the human empathy allowing her to connect with her children when committing such actions.
Kloet et al. (2016) reflect on the issues of stress and depression as having severe impacts on an individual's ability to comprehend or understand the consequences of his or her actions. In this case, it can be noted that Andrea drowned her children individually although she was their mother. Thus, this seems to suggest that indeed Andrea was facing severe mental instabilities, which hampered her empathy towards her children. Havranek et al. (2016) also build on the fact that environmental stressors act as key factors contributing to one's decision to engage in adverse actions including harming oneself or others in the social environment. In this case, Andrea was facing increased stress in trying to take care of her children and the lack of support from her husband, which may have contributed to the situation at hand in which she made the ultimate decision of killing her children.
References
Havranek, M. M., Bolliger, B., Roos, S., Pryce, C. R., Quednow, B. B., & Seifritz, E. (2016). Uncontrollable and unpredictable stress interacts with subclinical depression and anxiety scores in determining anxiety response. Stress: The International Journal on the Biology of Stress , 19 (1), 53-62.
Kloet, E. R., Otte, C., Kumsta, R., Kok, L., Hillegers, M. H. J., Hasselmann, H., ... & Joëls, M. (2016). Stress and depression: a crucial role of the mineralocorticoid receptor. Journal of Neuroendocrinology , 28 (8), 1-12.
