In 2016, the ABA and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation evaluated 12,825 practicing attorneys and revealed some troubling findings about attorney wellbeing. The study found:

• 28% experience symptoms of depression
• 19% experience symptoms of anxiety
• 23% experience symptoms of stress
• 21 to 36% experience problematic drinking

The study also found that lawyers younger than 30 years of age and those working in the field for less than 10 years reported problematic drinking in a significantly higher proportion than that of their older or more experienced colleagues.

The study concluded that lawyers experience problematic drinking that is hazardous, harmful or otherwise consistent with alcohol use disorders at a higher rate than other professional populations. Lawyers also experience a concerning amount of behavioral health problems.

The Importance of Improving Attorney Wellbeing

Since the study, the ABA […]