« Physician says proposed Medicare cuts imperil healthcare access for millions of beneficiaries | Main | William Styron's Depressions »

December 15, 2007

Research indicates nearly one in five lawyers may suffer from depression, problem drinking

The Wall Street Journal (12/13, D1, Shellenbarger) reports on the front page of its Personal Journal section that approximately "19 percent of lawyers suffer depression at any given time, compared with 6.7 percent of the population as a whole," according to Connie Beck, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona. Moreover, "one in five lawyers is a problem drinker."

Research indicates that nearly "19 percent of associate attorneys quit law firms every year," overloaded by "[e]scalating billable-hours quotas," and stressed by the "ceaseless deadlines and adversarial nature" of their work. Currently, some "bar associations are expanding programs to aid lawyers with depression and burnout."

In addition, some law firms "are acknowledging that the profession's overemphasis on face time harms quality of life." Even the American Bar Association "has criticized the billable-hours system...as 'corrosive.'" Furthermore, "some legal educators are beginning to see poor career choices as a root cause of work-life distress." For example, 30 percent "of 1,500 Oregon attorneys surveyed by the Oregon Attorney Assistance Program said" that if they were "allowed to start" their careers over, they would "choose a different field.

Posted by admin at December 15, 2007 07:03 AM