ABSTRACT
This chapter explains evident how mental health practice is situated in systems informed by bio-medical discourse of mental illness. It examines how ageism and sanism intersect with other forms of oppression and the impact on older adult. The chapter explores anti-oppressive approaches to the care and support of older adults that take into account diverse lived experiences across the life course, and within a broader socio-cultural, historical, and political context as they navigate mental wellness. The relationship between trauma, mental health, and substance mis/use are significant and well documented. Childhood trauma has been linked to increased risk for mental health, substance mis/use, breakdowns in social relationships and poor health outcomes as people age. Harm reduction has traditionally been applied to the treatment of substance mis/use and is also compatible when applied to managing mental illness, especially when there is evidence of concurrent disorders.
