Lawyer well-being is in decline, according to a recent Bloomberg Law survey. While this may not be surprising given the extra toll of the pandemic, the trend is not new. Lawyers are one of a few groups that suffer disproportionately from mental health, substance abuse and stress-related issues. As the world slowly exits the pandemic period, lawyers must take stock of where they are mentally, and what they can do to improve and maintain their well-being in the New Normal. Like everyone else, lawyers should do a fair bit of introspection and evaluation of methods they can use to reduce stress and improve their mental health. This will pay dividends not only in a work environment, but in personal lives as well.
“Nearly half of lawyers responding to a Bloomberg Law survey said their well-being declined over the first quarter of this year—and the problem was even worse for junior lawyers. Two-thirds of junior and midlevel attorneys reported a decline in well-being, while only 41% of senior associates reported such a decline, according to the second Attorney Workload & Hours Survey, conducted in April and May by Bloomberg Law. The publication has a report on the quarterly results here. Bloomberg surveyed lawyers who work at law firms and in-house legal departments who were on its contact lists and received responses from 614 people. Lawyers whose well-being declined reported personal issues at higher rates than those whose well-being improved. Those with worsening well-being reported issues in personal relationships, physical health issues and depression twice as often. And four-fifths of those whose well-being worsened reported disrupted sleep and anxiety.”
Read: Survey finds decline in lawyer well-being, particularly for early-career respondents at ABA Journal – Daily News