Kentucky Helps Shape Landmark National Study on Lawyer Mental Health and Well-Being

NEW RESEARCH ON LAWYER WELL-BEING

Kentucky Helps Shape Landmark National Study on Lawyer Mental Health and Well-Being

Nearly 1 in 2 lawyers surveyed reported high or very high work-related burnout.

A landmark new national study provides an updated look at mental health, burnout, stress, and well-being across the legal profession, with significant participation from Kentucky lawyers and judges.

A Closer Look at Lawyer Well-Being

The study surveyed nearly 37,000 lawyers nationwide, making it the largest study ever administered among actively licensed U.S. lawyers.

47.4%

reported high or very high work-related burnout

41.1%

said their time in the legal profession has been detrimental to their mental health

27%

reported contemplating leaving the profession because of mental health, burnout, or stress

The Findings Go Beyond Burnout

The study found significant levels of mental health distress and substance misuse across the legal profession.

21.6%

Screened positive for moderate-or-higher depression

20.4%

Screened positive for anxiety

18.9%

Screened positive for stress

26.4%

Screened positive for higher-risk hazardous drinking

39.1%

Believed employers were doing enough to support lawyers’ mental health and well-being

Lawyers Are Calling for Greater Focus on Well-Being

81 % of lawyers surveyed said it is important or very important for the profession to devote greater effort to reducing mental health and substance misuse issues.

An additional 15.7% said doing so is somewhat important, leaving only about 3% who did not consider greater efforts in this area important.

The findings reflect a profession that recognizes the impact of underlying stressors and the need for intentional efforts to improve the well-being of lawyers and their colleagues.

Kentucky's Voice Was Part of the Conversation

Kentucky lawyers and judges participated in the study statewide, helping contribute to a meaningful picture of lawyer well-being across the country.

Yvette Hourigan, Director of the Kentucky Lawyer Assistance Program and current Chair of the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs, played a pivotal role in encouraging participation and distribution of the survey.

Throughout her three-year term as Chair, Hourigan has encouraged state and local bar associations, lawyer assistance programs, and courts to engage in the process so the research could provide meaningful representation of lawyer mental health and well-being.

The result was a national response three times larger than the original 2015 study.

About the Research

The study, “When Demands Equal Distress: An Updated Understanding of Lawyer Mental Health and Well-being,” was conducted through a partnership between the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) and Krill Strategies.

Researchers Patrick R. Krill of Krill Strategies and Justin J. Anker, Ph.D., from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Minnesota Medical School, surveyed a large random sample of practicing lawyers from 28 participating jurisdictions.

Those jurisdictions represented all four official U.S. Census Bureau-designated regions and all nine divisions. The resulting sample was weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the profession reported in the American Bar Association’s 2024 National Lawyer Population Survey.

The study was published with open access in the Journal of Affective Disorders and provides an important 10-year update to the original CoLAP/Hazelden study of lawyer mental health and well-being.

This research provides an important opportunity for the legal profession to continue examining mental health, substance misuse, workplace stress, and lawyer well-being.

Look for additional details in upcoming editions of the Bench & Bar and presentations throughout the coming year.

Read the Executive Summary

View the ABA Announcement