Men in the legal profession must speak up about mental health

The stress, long hours and other challenges of legal work can impact the mental health of men and women alike – but men don’t tend to share those challenges nearly as openly as women. LawCare, the mental wellbeing charity for the legal profession, came to this conclusion when it noticed a gender divide among the users of its support services: approximately 65% of its users were female and 35% were male.

Gender can play a role in how people experience mental ill health. Research has found that women are generally more likely to have internalising disorders like depression or anxiety, for example, while men are more likely to have externalising disorders like substance abuse and antisocial behaviour.

As insurers, we pay close attention to how risks manifest themselves for our clients, so we were interested to hear the results of focus groups that LawCare conducted with a diverse group of men in the legal profession. The discussions revealed patterns in the mental health needs of men – and provided some clues as to why they’re less apt to speak up if, and when, they have a mental health problem.

Redefining ‘manliness’ in the law

The focus groups found that men feel a number of pressures that can stand in the way of their asking for help – or even showing what might be perceived as weakness by managers, clients or colleagues. The men shared the palpable expectations that they had to be strong, appear invulnerable and be able to bear the burden of problems alone. Indeed, the legal profession tends to attract hardworking people with a track record of achievement, which further elevates the notion that lawyers should have all of the answers. The men in the focus groups agreed that lawyers tend to take on more work than they can handle, which leaves them feeling overstretched and struggling in a hard-driving culture.

One participant said the idea of ‘manliness’ shouldn’t be about whether a person can down seven shots of whiskey or capably work interminable hours – implying that such traits may subconsciously define men in the law. This can make it far more difficult for men to open up to others about how they’re feeling, have the language to describe it, or even to admit to themselves they have a problem.

Further compounding the pressure men feel is the sense that seeking help may cause people to question their commitment to their firm or damage their career trajectory and, as a result, their family’s wellbeing. Men’s lack of dialogue about mental wellbeing can reduce their awareness of what resources – even anonymous ones – are available for support. Against that backdrop, it may seem like soldiering on is the safer path.

Risk vs. reward

Of course, we know that pushing ahead despite struggles with mental ill health works for a person only until it suddenly doesn’t. As LawCare found in its most recent Life in the Law report, legal professionals have a high risk of burnout.[1]  While not all stress is bad, it’s important for legal professionals and their employers to recognise when it’s becoming harmful. Common indicators that stress has become damaging may include regular sleep disruptions; feeling irritable; having difficulty staying focused; pulling away from friends, family and colleagues; delaying tasks that must be completed or feeling that everything must be done in the moment; developing unhealthy eating or drinking habits; avoiding exercise, meditation or other practices we know are healthy for us; and relying on addictive relaxants like cigarettes or sedatives to manage anxiety.

At Travelers, we have observed that when law firms are workplaces in which employees feel able to admit mistakes without fear of retribution, they not only minimise their organisation’s risks, but also generate better results. Our own research has found that law firms that have had mental health initiatives in place for longer periods tend to experience fewer claims.

Fortunately, we’re seeing more men helping to reduce the stigma around mental health by speaking up about how they protect their mental wellbeing and manage the stresses of legal work. These men are not only supporting their own mental health but are also becoming critical role models to junior staff and colleagues who would otherwise hesitate to share their struggles. One example LawCare identified is James McFarlane, a solicitor in Scotland who has organised a men’s wellbeing group that meets online each month.[2]

Law firms themselves play perhaps the most important role in moving the needle on mental health within their organisations. By modelling acceptance of mental health care at all levels of the organisation, discussing it openly, and providing (and encouraging the use of) resources to help, they can create healthy, lower-risk cultures. When law firms create psychologically safe workplaces, they do a tremendous favour for both men and women. And, the business benefits too.

Sharon Glynn is Director of Underwriting at Travelers Europe.

LawCare provides confidential, free support for legal professionals experiencing concerns ranging from difficult clients to disciplinary proceedings. And, the people providing support have worked in the legal profession and understand its challenges. Contact LawCare on 0800 279 6888, email [email protected] or access online chat and other resources at www.lawcare.org.uk

[1] https://www.lawcare.org.uk/media/14vhquzz/lawcare-lifeinthelaw-v6-final.pdf

[2] https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/wellbeing/get-involved/mens-wellbeing-group