Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Most Lawyers Suffer From Depression

by VR Sreeraman on September 20, 2008 at 2:40 PM
 Most Lawyers Suffer From Depression

A new survey has found that over 40 percent of law students suffer from depression, with little improvement in sight when they become barristers and solicitors.

According to the study, almost a third of solicitors and one-in-five barristers suffer psychological distress associated with disability.

Advertisement

Professor Ian Hickie, from the Brain and Mind Research Institute in New South Wales (NSW), said that the survey of 738 students, 924 solicitors and 751 barristers supported earlier findings that consistently ranked lawyers first in surveys of depression.

In the survey, practising lawyers identified a number of causes of their depression including fear of failure in a competitive and combatant environment; pessimism; disillusionment through ethical compromises; perfectionism; and the obligation to follow instructions from clients even when against the lawyer's better judgement.
Advertisement

Hickie said that law students attributed part of their distress to study pressures. Legal professionals also said they were under pressure at work.

"They also talk about pressure in their lives. They all talk about pressure in relationships elsewhere in their lives,'' the Age.com.au quoted him, as saying.

"Part of the issue is, they are in a demanding education, and they will be in a demanding workplace. But so are a lot of other people.

"The (question) is: are their law schools and then their workplaces assisting in that?'' Hickie added.

Hickie said: "One of the difficulties I think in law is whether that is the situation in law schools - or it's all just individually competitive and high pressured. And in the profession ... is there a legal profession? Or is it just a set of competing individual commercial firms and competing individual people?''

Source: ANI
LIN
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Mental Health News

Can Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Therapy Alter Brain Activity?
Neuroimaging exposes alterations in connectivity among individuals dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), stated study.
How Stress Induce Emotional Overeating?
Proenkephalin, a chemical molecule present in the brain's hypothalamus, is linked to emotionally driven overeating in response to stress and threats.
From Inflation to Global Affairs- Americans are Stressed on Holidays
Americans experience stress over the holidays, due to inflation, world affairs, rising flu and COVID-19 instances, and previous holiday melt-down.
Japanese Employees: Depressive Symptoms and Work Performance
Evaluating stress levels to improve employee mental health and sleep has shown to be effective in enhancing work performance.
Potential Role of Inflammation in Suicide Risk
Excessive inflammation and the loss of critical brain protection mechanisms have been found as a potential player in suicide risk.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Most Lawyers Suffer From Depression Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests