Remarkable lives: Laura O’Brien in conversation with Jerome Carson
| Date | 09 May 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-02-2016-0009 |
| Pages | 74-79 |
| Published date | 09 May 2016 |
| Author | Laura O'Brien,Jerome Carson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
Remarkable lives: Laura O’Brien in
conversation with Jerome Carson
Laura O’Brien and Jerome Carson
Laura O’Brien is based at the
Department of Education,
University of Bolton,
Bolton, UK.
Jerome Carson is a Professor
at the Department of
Psychology, University of
Bolton, Bolton, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of the paper is to provide a profile of Laura O’Brien.
Design/methodology/approach–Laura provides a short biographicalaccountof her life thus far. She isthen
interviewedby Jerome. She describes her abusivechildhood and the effectthis has had on her mental health.
Findings –Despite enduring significant adversity, Laura has completed a Psychology degree, is finishing off
a PGCE and hopes to go on to complete a PhD.
Research limitations/implications –There has been increasing interest looking at the effects of childhood
abuse on predisposing individuals to adult mental health problems. This case study provides evidence of this
linkage.
Practical implications –Patricia Deegan talks about mental health staff having to “hold the care”while the
individual struggles with their personal recovery. Laura’s story shows how despite numerous overdoses and
admissions, she has been able to battle through. Mental health staff should never give up. There are
thousands of “Lauras”out there.
Social implications –How much of Laura’s problems might have been avoided or minimised if there had
been better interventions during her troubled childhood years?
Originality/value –Given what she has endured, Laura’s recent career successes have been staggering.
Keywords Resilience, Recovery, Inspiration, Self-harm, Bipolar, Childhood abuse
Paper type Case study
Introduction
In my second job after qualifying as a clinical psychologist, I worked with an experienced
psychologist called Loretta Shoben. Loretta talked a lot about the prevalence of childhood
physical and sexual abuse in adult mental health sufferers. Never having heard many sufferers
talk about these issues myself, I felt that Loretta may have been exaggerating their influence.
Later, personal clinical and research experience, has proved Loretta was correct (Cohen et al.,
2001; Bendall et al., 2011). Nonetheless hearing stories like Laura’s in this account still comes as
shock. It seems hard to believe that parents can subject their children to such violence. Yet,
I have often been struck by the difficulties that many sufferers have experienced in their lives
(Bullimore, 2011) and am in no doubt that this is the reason that I sit on one side of the room as
the professional, while the client sits opposite me. Had my life experiences been as adverse, the
roles would have been reversed. Back to Laura […].
Brief biography by Laura O’Brien
It is a tragedy, that a simple fall down the stairs can take the lives of over 1,000 people every year.
This was my first experience of my life being over before it had even started. The perpetrator, my
father, had an authoritarian imposition and ran the house with military precision. He was the
PAG E 74
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MENTALHEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
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VOL. 20 NO. 2 2016, pp. 74-79, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/MHSI-02-2016-0009
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