Scotland’s legal sector has made strides in recent years in seeking to open up the discussion about mental health issues, and provide support where possible. The acceleration of mental health challenges within the legal sector, however, is making it ever more urgent to provide the right kind of support.
Scotland, like many other countries, faces a concerning picture that’s looking increasingly like a mental health crisis. The Scottish Government estimates that around one in three people are affected by mental health problems in any one year, and the Scottish Health Survey 2022 shows mental wellbeing has declined sharply in recent years. See Me is Scotland’s national programme to end mental health stigma, but involvement is required at every level in society and business, to make meaningful change. These alarming figures highlight the need for comprehensive mental health support across all sectors, including the legal profession.
Within the legal sector, the demanding nature of the profession coupled with long hours, high workloads, and intense pressure, significantly impacts mental wellbeing. Legal professionals need to deal with high conflict situations and are required to make high stakes decisions, which all contribute to an elevated level of stress.
In the Law Society of Scotland’s Profile of the Profession 2023 survey, nearly two thirds of respondents reported a mental health issue in the past five years. Separately, the Wellbeing and Resilience Report 2023 indicates that higher degrees of stress and burnout have been reported within the legal sector, with work volume, feeling undervalued and a lack of work-life balance being cited as the top three pressure points. Almost 70% of respondents to LawCare’s 2021 Life in the Law survey said they’d experienced mental ill health in the previous year, with young lawyers particularly at risk.
Layer over this the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and legal professionals are often discouraged from seeking help, further exacerbating the problem.
The consequences of neglecting mental health support within the legal sector are far-reaching. People are experiencing burnout, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions that can lead to reduced productivity, impaired decision-making, and diminished job satisfaction.
Younger lawyers and new graduates are acutely aware of these factors, with many experiencing mental health issues at earlier stages in their career. In the latest survey of law students in Scotland, 65% of respondents said they had experienced a mental health issue in the last five years, with depression, anxiety and burnout being the most common issues.
The high proportion of people experiencing wellbeing issues and who are not receiving professional support for their mental health is perhaps the most concerning of all. Whether this is due to the stigma of mental ill health, lack of access or lack of resources, this is certainly an area that must be tackled.
Investing in mental health support for legal professionals is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic decision for the legal sector. By prioritising mental wellbeing, legal firms can foster a healthier work environment, improve employee retention, and enhance overall productivity.
Recent research shows that poor mental health costs Scottish employers over £2 billion every year. With the scale of this challenge growing, these costs rise in parallel. In terms of organisations investing in mental health supports, the data shows that for every £1 spend on mental health interventions, employers get back £5 in reduced sick days and increased productivity.
If we spend an average of eight hours each day at work, and eight hours asleep, we’re spending half of our waking hours in the workplace. Given that workplaces can contribute to wellbeing issues, it’s no surprise then that workplaces can contribute to helping to provide support for mental health and wellbeing challenges.
As we come toward the end of 2023, it’s a crucial time to consider our plans in this area for 2024. For employers in the legal sector, that's why we at Kara Connect are proud to support the Law Society of Scotland's Guide to creating a Wellbeing Strategy. This resource is developed with the wellbeing needs and concerns of legal firms and legal professionals across Scotland at the forefront.
This content was also published on the Law Society of Scotland website.