Remarkable lives: Suzanne Rogerson in conversation with Jerome Carson

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Suzanne Rogerson.

Design/methodology/approach

Suzanne provides a short summary of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings

Suzanne tells us about the suicide of her father and how for years she was unable to discuss this, before discovering she was probably suffering from complicated grief.

Research limitations/implications

Single case studies are just that. One person’s story. However they offer us insights into suffering that cannot be glimpsed from large research studies.

Practical implications

The stigma attached to suicide means that people often avoid talking about it. The surviving relative is thus left to carry this enormous burden on their own.

Social implications

Suzanne draws attention to the documentary made by Professor Green, about his attempts to understand what made his own father take his life. Programmes like this can help demystify the issues surrounding suicide.

Originality/value

People sometimes dismissively talk about psychology students choosing the subject as they want to understand themselves and their own pathology. For Suzanne this was a liberating process.

Citation

Rogerson, S. and Carson, J. (2017), "Remarkable lives: Suzanne Rogerson in conversation with Jerome Carson", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 208-212. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-06-2017-0026