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Study Shows High Frequency of Mental Health Issues Among Lawyers

Ethics, Firm Management

A new study from the Journal of Addiction Medicine shows how serious mental health issues are in the legal profession. The study, published in The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys (authors Patrick R. Krill, JD, LLM, Ryan Johnson, MA, and Linda Albert, MSSW), surveyed over 14,000 lawyers nationwide.

The prevalence of drinking problems among lawyers is the most discouraging conclusion of the study. The study found that 20.6% of the lawyers who answered the survey demonstrated “problematic drinking,” as compared to other studies showing such a problem among 11.8% of the “highly educated” workforce. Concerning substance use was significant as well, with 10.6% reporting marijuana usage and 5.8% reporting opioid usage in the past year. 29.3% of lawyers were classified as having some degree of depression, with 8.8% classified as “severe” or “extremely severe.” Anxiety was significant as well, with 19.3% classified as having some degree of anxiety and 5.6% classified as severe or extremely severe.

Significantly, problems were more severe among lawyers under 40 years old, though even among older lawyers drinking, 16.2%, was a problem for more than the highly educated workforce generally. Only 6.8% of lawyers reported participation in treatment programs, demonstrating a need to find ways to encourage identification and treatment.

While TLIE does not keep statistics about mental impairment, we do see a significant number of claims among lawyers who show some signed of impairment. A self test to see if you might be a problem drinker is here. For more help, the Texas Lawyer Assistance Program (TLAP) is available.