LAUSR

Some literature indicates that trainees’ experiences with older adults can influence their perceptions of geriatrics, and more specifically, their interest in geriatric careers [1]. However, when working on clinical rotations with older adults, students often experience situations that are clinically, personally, and ethically challenging, in some cases leading to higher levels of moral distress associated with geriatrics care [2]. To try to provide a more well-rounded view of aging, some programs incorporate curriculum that encourages meaningful experiences with older adults [3, 4]. Many of these curricula involve narrative medicine, listening to the stories of older adults and exploring experiences that would otherwise be unknown. In this same vein, literature can provide a tool for learning about aging, especially when used to tell diverse stories of seniors in the community, as in John Leland’s book, Happiness is a Choice You Make. Author and New York Times reporter John Leland set out in 2015 to follow six older New Yorkers over the course of a year. The resulting series, “85 & Up,” was later adapted into Happiness is a Choice You Make. At first glance, the title may seem to be a bit of amisnomer for an audience of academic psychiatrists. This is not a book about “choosing” one’s way out of depression or disease, but rather about how “even as our various faculties decline, we still wield extraordinary influence over the quality of our lives” (p. 13). Leland admits to beginning the project with an idea of what it was like to be 90, but he quickly revised his expectations (p. 7). In fact, the main takeaway of this book is that many people, psychiatrists included, should revise their perceptions of aging. Late life is a stage of development, an opportunity for gratitude and purpose, resilience, and wellness. Throughout the book, Leland summarizes and applies findings from studies on aging from leading gerontologists around the world. However, the strength of this book for psychiatric education is not only the presentation of data but also the way that the author models the act of listening to and learning from older adults themselves.While some of his musings may seem overly optimistic at times, the author sets a positive example of seeking out the wisdom of older adults by listening to their narratives, and then applying this wisdom to his own life. For example, Leland describes his interaction with one older adult named John, stating that “The simplest answers were compassion and empathy; time with John was always time well spent because it was time inside the life of another person” (p. 162). On page 2, the book includes photos of the seniors, which further humanizes them and allows the reader to imagine the lives of these unique individuals. The opening chapter of this book is appropriately titled, “Surprise of a Lifetime.” Leland discusses how he came to find the six seniors he worked with on this project, and how they changed his negative views about older adults and the concept of aging. He mentions a specific story about his mother’s aunt Dorothy and how he “never saw her as anything but the somewhat crusty former nurse who played a spirited “Alley Cat” on our upright piano” (p. 21). While Leland centers the book around experiences of individual older adults, he also describes broader societal trends that impact older adults and their loved ones. By pointing out flaws in our systems that contribute to negative views of aging, Leland suggests ways to reframe thinking about older adults and their place in society. * Karen Duong [email protected]