Only 36% of young legal professionals say work has positive impact on mental health, new survey finds
Half of surveyed male lawyers in larger law firms report that work has a positive effect on their mental health, but only 35% of female lawyers feel the same. (Illustration from Shutterstock)
Half of surveyed male lawyers in larger law firms report that work has a positive effect on their mental health, but only 35% of female lawyers feel the same.
Responses also differ by age group, according to a new study by Unmind, a workplace mental health platform for global businesses.
Only 36% of surveyed legal professionals, including lawyers, who are ages 18 to 34 said work had a positive effect on mental health. The percentage increased to 43% for those ages 35 to 44, 50% for those ages 45 to 54, and 62% for those ages 55 and older.
The impact of poor well-being is far reaching, according to the study, The State of Wellbeing in Law 2024. Nearly 19% of work time is affected by poor mental health, resulting in an average well-being loss of more than $33 million per firm.
The study is based on responses from 4,448 legal professionals in nine firms in the United States and the United Kingdom. The firms, identified as midsize in the study, had head counts ranging from 600 to 2,400.
Other survey findings:
• Only 30% of associates said they trust the senior leaders in their firms to make decisions that are in the best interests of employee mental health and well-being, compared to 45% of partners.
• 43% of associates said they would feel comfortable talking to managers about mental health and well-being, compared to 50% of partners.
• 71% of male partners expressed confidence in career progression, compared to 59% of female partners.
• 76% of male legal professionals reported high levels of “psychological safety,” meaning that they feel safe to address points of disagreement and talk about mistakes. Only 66% of females reported high levels of psychological safety.
“The findings are clear,” said Nick Taylor, the CEO and co-founder of Unmind, in a foreword to the study. “Box-ticking approaches to well-being aren’t enough, and solely placing the responsibility on employees to manage their mental health is neither sustainable nor effective.
“Successful, lasting change requires initiatives that reach every organizational level, starting with senior leadership,” Taylor added. “This is especially important in law firms, as employees perceive a lower commitment to well-being from senior leaders compared to other sectors.”
The study is available here.
