Lawyers experience substance use disorders at a higher rate than other professional groups and the general population in the United States. So I was puzzled to read in Bloomberg Law’s most recent workplace and hours survey that only 7.6% of lawyers said they abused alcohol or drugs in the past quarter as a result of work-related issues. The study underscored high rates of alcohol abuse among
young attorneys with only a few years of practice. Almost 32 percent of
attorneys 30 and younger were classified as problem drinkers.
- Once they graduate, these issues usually intensify, leading to increased levels of stress, unhappiness and imbalance.
- The numbers of problematic alcohol use were staggering and the Journal of Addiction Medicine published the findings.
- Past studies have shown adequate construct validity and high internal consistency reliability (Antony et al., 1998; Clara et al., 2001; Crawford and Henry, 2003; Henry and Crawford, 2005).
When the ABA Journal asked its readers whether they had drinking problems, the results were quite interesting. Of course, this is not a scientific survey, and the sampling was self-selecting, but the results are still amazing. Nearly 40 percent said they sought help for these issues; over 22 percent “have struggled with these issues but not sought help.” Fewer than 28 percent did not have a problem. After cancer and heart disease, suicide is the third most common cause of death and research indicates lawyers are the “most depressed” of 105 surveyed professions, according the American Bar Association.
Why lawyers are prone to alcohol abuse
The factors driving lawyers’ heavy drinking are “a rare confluence of high risk variables,” said study lead author Patrick Krill in an interview. The fact that lawyers warrant their own specialized treatment program gives some sense of the prevalence of substance abuse issues in that field. They collected responses from 1,000 lawyers from 2010 to 2017 and compared their rates of mental health problems and heavy drinking to other highly educated professionals and the overall U.S. population. At Gateway, we offer evidence-based alcohol addiction treatment for legal professionals struggling with this disease.
For example, rates of alcoholism are thought to be significantly higher in the career fields of first responders, veterans, and lawyers. Stress, strenuous work environments, and the potential for PTSD often lead to self-medication for many professionals in these specific occupations. Before recruiting participants to the study, approval was granted by an institutional review board. To obtain a representative sample of attorneys within the United States, recruitment was coordinated through 19 states. Among them, 15 state bar associations and the 2 largest counties of 1 additional state e-mailed the survey to their members. Those bar associations were instructed to send 3 recruitment e-mails over a 1-month period to all members who were currently licensed attorneys.
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A co-occurring disorder is when one person has two or more mental health disorders or medical illnesses. Typically, Houle says, those abusing substances have an underlying mental health issue such as anxiety and/or depression. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) is a self-report instrument consisting of three 7-item subscales assessing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Individual items are scored on a 4-point scale (0–3), allowing for subscale scores ranging from 0 to 21 (Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995).
The period of the analysis does not cover the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought its own mental health challenges for lawyers. America’s lawyers have a serious drinking problem, according to a new report from the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Enjuris is a platform dedicated to helping people who are dealing with life-altering accidents and injuries. eco sober house boston We support students, families, caregivers and communities with resources, personal stories and a national directory of partner attorneys. According to the Legal Profession Assistance Conference of Canada (LPAC), studies in numerous jurisdictions have pegged the rate of alcoholism in the legal profession at between 15 per cent and 24 per cent.
The ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation recently conducted a very extensive study of lawyers and judges—12,825 lawyers. All the lawyers were licensed and employed, so one cannot say that the fear of the bar examination or current unemployment led to drinking (although a fear of future employment may be the catalyst for some). Over 20 percent of the lawyers and judges surveyed reported problematic alcohol use. There are several professions in which alcoholism and substance abuse seem to be more prevalent than others.
Treatment Utilization and Barriers to Treatment
Since young lawyers often graduate with a mountain of student loans, this creates additional pressure. College costs rise continuously while the availability of well-paying jobs seems to decline, so this creates a dreary outlook for many. “They don’t call it the bar for nothing,” quips Dr Neil Brener, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory, adding that lawyers make up a disproportionate number of his clients (who also include bankers, accountants and doctors).
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The participants represent a convenience sample recruited through e-mails and news postings to state bar mailing lists and web sites. Because the participants were not randomly selected, there may be a voluntary response bias, over-representing individuals that have a strong opinion on the issue. Additionally, some of those https://sober-home.org/ that may be currently struggling with mental health or substance use issues may have not noticed or declined the invitation to participate. Participating bar associations voiced a concern over individual members being identified based on responses to questions; therefore no IP addresses or geo-location data were gathered.
Law’s problem with alcohol is slowly being addressed – but is still hush-hush
If you believe a colleague may have a drinking problem, encourage him or her to seek help. Alcoholism, also known as an alcohol use disorder, is a chronic and progressive disease. Individuals with a disorder may not be able to control how much they drink and frequently continue to drink despite serious consequences.
Law students often begin to experience mental health issues during school, such as depression and anxiety. Once they graduate, these issues usually intensify, leading to increased levels of stress, unhappiness and imbalance. Coupled with unhealthy coping strategies, and those in the legal profession have a recipe for disaster when it comes to excessive drinking.
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The State Bar of California’s LAP Director Richard Carlton said
he was just as concerned about the high rates of depression, stress and anxiety
reported in the study as the data on alcohol abuse. About half of the attorneys
who use the State Bar’s LAP have problems with both alcohol abuse and mental
health issues, he said. This indicates that alcohol addiction is on the rise among lawyers, especially since one in three of the legal professionals have problems with alcohol use.
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This applies to client meetings during the day and social events after work, both of which involve alcohol consumption on a frequent basis. “When you’re at a law firm, you’re inculcated into that culture, with these coping mechanisms. In addition, firm lawyers are encouraged to socialize with clients, which can often involve alcohol, he added. Problem drinking by lawyers was notably higher than the 15 percent of surgeons who were categorized as abusing alcohol, as reported in a 2012 study of nearly 7,200 surgeons by the American College of Surgeons.
“You put them through a training (law school) where they are taught to work harder, play harder, and assume the role of a tough, capable and aggressive professional without personal weaknesses or deficiencies.” The study points to a widespread problem that affects all
geographic regions and practice settings. But Krill said the reports of problem
drinking were higher among attorneys at private firms. Online resources like LawCare’s fact sheet on dealing with alcoholics in the workplace have helped – particularly at the small firms and barristers’ chambers, which have no human resources staff trained in helping stressed-out employees.
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Jill O’Neill, who took over as NH-LAP’s executive director on July 6, says she is committed to working with New Hampshire attorneys overcome the barriers they face getting help with substance and mental health issues. O’Neill has spent the past 19 years with Greater Nashua Mental Health where she has filled a variety of roles providing services for individuals and families seeking care. The New Hampshire Lawyers Assistance Program, which began in 2007, helps New Hampshire lawyers, judges, and law students who are experiencing mental health as well as substance misuse issues.
- It notes that the last widely cited research on the subject was conducted in 1990 and only surveyed 1,200 attorneys from Washington State.
- As director of NH-LAP Hartigan received a certificate for a QPR or “Question, Persuade, Refer” program that seeks to identify suicidal behaviors and she says without this training she wouldn’t have known how to address the issue of suicide with individuals.
- Targeted interventions and strategies to simultaneously address both the alcohol use and mental health of newer attorneys warrant serious consideration and development if we hope to increase overall well being, longevity, and career satisfaction.
The second time, she was applying for law school as an undergraduate, but her depression led to thoughts of failure and feelings of worthlessness. Getting at the roots of mental health and substance issues is Houle’s objective in the work she does. But, she says, this can not be achieved with “quick in-and-out interventions” such as cognitive behavioral therapy. While Hartigan says inroads have been made in terms of speaking openly about mental health and substance misuse, the battle continues. One of the programs she became familiar with during her tenure at Greater Nashua Mental Health was a court diversion program where she first witnessed the many stressors affecting attorneys.
The numbers of problematic alcohol use were staggering and the Journal of Addiction Medicine published the findings. While some medically reviewed studies have shown the benefits of moderate drinking, regularly exceeding recommended guidelines can pose significant health, personal and professional risks and cause severe problems for you, your family and your legal career. These rehab programs address profession-specific factors that may have lead them to abuse alcohol. Help is available, so those in the field can get the help they need and continue helping others.