Celebrating National Wellness Month

Dear Legal Community:

August is National Wellness Month. As we enter this last month of summer, it is important for all of us to be mindful of our mental and physical health. Recent studies have shown that lawyers are more likely to neglect their physical and mental health because of demands at work.

Studies also show that lawyers face a substantially higher risk than the general population of heart attacks, strokes, and other physical health ailments that could result in premature death. Lawyers are also at a greater risk of suffering from depression because of job-related stress.

A recent study commissioned by the California Lawyers Association and the DC Bar found that overall, lawyers are twice as likely to contemplate suicide as the general population. However, lawyers who self-identified as being under “high levels of stress” were 22 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers who self-identified as being under low or moderate levels of stress. Male lawyers were found to be twice as likely to contemplate suicide as female lawyers.

There are also significant disparities in how stress impacts the mental health of minority lawyers. A recent study found that approximately 31% of Black attorneys said they have contemplated suicide during their legal career. By comparison, approximately 23% of Hispanic and Latino attorneys, 20% of Asian attorneys, and almost 19.4% of White attorneys reported the same suicidal tendencies.

Over the past three years, I have lost several close friends who range in age from their late 30s to their late 50s. Most of them were lawyers or high-achieving business or community leaders who died because of heart attacks, strokes, and/or suicide. If I could go back in time to help them take better care of their physical and mental health, I would.

However, I am taking this opportunity to encourage everyone reading this column to take good care of their physical and mental health. There is only one you, and your friends, colleagues, and family would love to have you in their lives for as long as possible. Self-preservation is the first law of the land.

If you are looking for resources to assist with your wellness journey, the California Lawyers Association has a Health and Wellness Committee that is dedicated to the health and wellness of members of the legal profession. Here is a link with more information: https://calawyers.org/health-and-wellness/

If you are dealing with a mental health crisis, and you need someone to speak with, you can call or text 998 from any phone. You can also find additional suicide prevention resources here on the California Department of Public Health webpage.

Please take good care of yourself. We love you and need you.

Sincerely,

Terrance J. Evans
Chair of the California Lawyers Association