Massachusetts has a lot to offer. Harvard is there. They also have a little funny way of pronouncing the word “garden” that throws it out of their mouth. Well… there must be something else, right? That third thing he might need to do to make practice in New England a little more bearable. Because at the moment people are having a hard time recording these billables. From Reuters:
Massachusetts lawyers are burnt out, with higher rates of anxiety and depression, according to a study released Wednesday.
Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and NORC last year surveyed 4,450 attorneys in Massachusetts for their latest study. Statewide, 77% reported burnout, 26% reported high levels of anxiety, 21% reported depression, and 7% reported suicidal thoughts, all of which above average for US adults.
Alcohol consumption was also high in the survey, with 42% of respondents reporting unhealthy or unsafe use.
Now, except that they didn’t make any methodological errors, we basically only got opinions from people screaming for help – trying to see Pagliacci or Adult Swiftes™, for example. Attorneys and such, that’s a healthy sample size of people…that’s bad. The lawyer’s drinking rate has been disproportionately high for some time now, but her self-reported rate of unhealthy or unsafe use is 42%, too close to half for comfort.
One outlier, COVID-19, may have colored the data. That said, the results may still be noteworthy.
According to a Lawyer Well-Being in Massachusetts survey, “nearly half say they are considering leaving their legal employer, and 40% have quit the legal profession in the past three years due to burnout or stress. reported that he was considering quitting.”
The timing of the study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely contributed to the high reported burnout and anxiety rates, the authors said. It was consistent with previous findings that they have more substance abuse and mental health problems than the general population and other occupations.
This points to some advice that even companies based outside of Massachusetts might want to keep in mind. It may be in the company’s best interest to cool off against a strict return-to-office policy. Who really wants to add gossip to a depressing brew at this point? Burning out employees may have been a viable economic tactic at one point, but burnout like this At a rate of , your minimum amount may also be charred.
A new Massachusetts study found burnout, anxiety and depression were particularly high among minority groups. Burnout rates for black and Hispanic attorneys were 86% and 88%, respectively, compared to her 77% for white attorneys. Parenting lawyers also report higher rates of burnout.
The survey found that nearly half of lawyers who tested positive for depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation did not seek mental health care. Researchers attribute it to stigma, time constraints, and fear of professional retaliation around mental health issues.
The fear of professional retaliation is palpable — remember that guy who wanted to can a woman for “sitting on her ass” while on maternity leave? Riti lives a long life, but, oddly enough, is great with company and very demanding with partners and peers. After all, they’re the ones in the oak box. Thankfully, the research ends on a practical note.
Attorneys who reported having a supportive work environment in which they were treated with kindness and respect, were given flexibility, and were given guidance reported higher life satisfaction and reduced levels of burnout, anxiety, and depression. The study found that the percentage of
So, Boston attorney or whoever deserves that shoe, you’ve been working for that company all your life. Take a day or two off and talk to your therapist. You can also find a therapist online. And if that means going sideways to a company that treats you like a real person, so be it.
Burnout. depression.Massachusetts Attorney Survey Plenty of Red Flags [Reuters]
Chris Williams will become Above the Law’s Social Media Manager and Assistant Editor in June 2021. Before he joined the staff, he moonlighted as a minor He Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He spent a long time in Missouri and graduated from Washington University St. Louis Law School. He is a former boat builder who cannot swim, has published books on critical racing theory, philosophy and humor, loves cycling and sometimes annoys his peers. You can reach him by emailing cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and tweeting at: @RentsForRent.
