Well-being

Lawyer Wellness Ranks Worst in White Collar Profession

lawyer wellnessA new study completed by PsychSafe reported that out of all white collar professionals, lawyers ranked last in health and wellness.

The study analyzed the mental health of over 800 white collar professionals — 370 of those surveyed were law firm lawyers and 170 were either government attorneys or in-house counsel.

Heavy workloads, high pressure, and long hours appeared to be the primary reason why lawyers were at the bottom of this list. Yet, another factor playing into the mix was that lawyers were twice as likely to abuse substances than the other professions featured in the study.

Aside from the demands of the job and substance abuse taking a toll on lawyer wellness, the study also found that “toxic behavior” in the form of harassment, cynicism, and competition played a major role in the poor quality of health within the legal profession.

Dr. Michalak of PsychSafe feels that lawyers are sometimes too focused on resilience and mindfulness strategies rather than straight prevention planning.

From a risk perspective, it’s after the fact – much like relying on a fire blanket, rather than preventing the fire in the first place. We seriously need to step away from the resilience cookie jar and move towards primary prevention strategies to address causes of poor mental health and well-being, which include work environment factors.”

Is there a viable solution to eliminate lawyer stress? Can we improve our professional wellness?

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