Aging and mental wellbeing

Coming of Age: Meeting the needs of our aging population

Are we psychologically prepared as a society for aging? More and more we are seeing a fear of elderhood and avoidance to talking about its realities. This fuels a cycle of bias that we can change – through healthy discussion and proper support.

In this episode, Donna Duncan is joined by Dr. Sonu Gaind, a psychiatrist, professor and mental health advocate. Dr. Gaind is the Chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada, a hospital renowned for its work in mental health research and care. Together, they explore how fear, hope and acceptance are connected in maintaining mental wellbeing as we get older, along with the tools and systems needed to support us all in aging well.

Resources and extra reading mentioned this episode:

· Learn more about Dr. Gaind’s work: https://www.drsonugaind.com/

· Learn about positive aging and psychiatry: https://fountainofhealth.ca/

· Watch the Japanese film Plan 75 about an imagined dystopian future of a “super-aged society”

· Read the book, Anxiety and the Gift of Imagination by Dr. Robin Alter

· Read the Surgeon General Advisory on the impact of loneliness and isolation in the United States

Thanks for listening to Season 3! Join us next week for a new episode. Subscribe to Coming of Age to catch each new episode as soon as it’s released.

This episode was generously sponsored by our Sector Champion, Plan A powered by StaffStat.