Canadian Study Reveals Heavy Toll of Legal Work on Mental Health

Young lawyers need more support and mentoring for their mental wellbeing and professional growth, according to an extensive Canadian study.

“This comprehensive report continues to highlight the heavy toll that our daily work takes on legal professionals,” Lynne Vicars, Canadian Bar Association president, said.

Study participants expressed concern about the profession’s culture, which often runs counter to work-life balance and prioritising personal well-being. New lawyers face added pressure from billable-hour targets during the early stages of their careers, it said.

“Generally speaking, legal professionals are stressed and overworked, do not pay enough attention to proper nutrition, do not take enough time to exercise and sleep. People in our profession do not place enough emphasis on either physical or mental health,” noted one research participant.

Despite many firms touting what they’re doing to support the mental health of their people, the study shows stigmatization of mental health struggles is still prevalent. More than half of legal professionals believe such issues are seen as a sign of weakness, it says.

Phase I of the study reported that significantly higher levels of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, burnout and suicidal ideation are experienced by legal professionals compared to the Canadian working population overall.

The second phase includes 12 distinct research reports for the Canadian provinces and territories with specific recommendations for regulators and legal employers to consider in each region.

Overall, the reports’ main recommendations across the country are: Improving the preparation of new and future legal professionals to support them in dealing with psychological health issues; and evaluating alternative work organization models that limit the impact of health risk factors, including billable hours, and that promote a better work-life balance.

The reports are a culmination of a five-year research project and the first comprehensive national study of its kind of the legal profession in Canada. Research was led by Nathalie Cadieux of the University of Sherbrooke and supported by the Canadian Bar Association and Federation of Law Societies of Canada.