Lawyers are consistently near or at the top of the list of professions with the highest suicide rates. After cancer and heart disease, suicide is the third most common cause of death among attorneys. Research indicates that lawyers are also the "most depressed" of 105 surveyed professions. Despite these facts, few lawyers are educated about depression and suicide prevention.
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, has published an educational video as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about mental health issues within the legal profession. Through this medium, attorneys share their own stories of struggle with anxiety and depression, and amongst these testimonies are messages of hope. “Getting help is a sign of strength. It is not a showing of weakness,” one such attorney stresses.
If you are a member of the legal profession who is struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions, help is available. Call LCL’s confidential helpline at 1-888-999-1941.