Mental health

Lawyers in England and Wales have poorer psychological well-being than the general English population, according to early findings from a study by researchers at the University of East London and Birkbeck, University of London.

In a survey of 340 trainee and qualified solicitors, lawyers measured an average score of 44.3 on the Warwick-Edinburgh mental well-being scale – over five points lower than the national adult average of 49.9.

Psychological well-being refers to a person's overall state of feeling, and functioning, well. The study is the first to benchmark lawyers' psychological well-being against national data.

Both male and female solicitors were found to have lower average well-being scores than the rest of the general public.

Lead researcher Lucinda Soon said it was important to look at the bigger picture "encompassing the work environment and culture in which solicitors practise".

Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of mental health charity LawCare, believes the research "confirms that lawyers experience poorer wellbeing than others", and suggests that "the time is now to address the culture and working practices in law that can lead to poor wellbeing, and build the social capital in the legal community to create positive change".

Detailed findings from the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in due course, Soon said.

Earlier this week, research compiled by online job marketplace CV-Library reported that nearly two-thirds of legal professionals in the U.K. admitted to calling in sick to avoid going into work on a Monday due to the 'Sunday night fear'.

Last month, LawCare released new figures showing that the number of lawyers contacting the charity regarding workplace bullying increased by 70% in one year.

This article has been updated to remove references to some parts of the study that are ongoing.