More than half of Illinois lawyers have persistent mental and behavioral health issues, according to a new study by the Illinois Lawyers Assistance Program.
The survey of more than 6,700 Illinois lawyers found that over 20 percent of lawyers rated their mental health as ‘fair’ or ‘poor.’ Of those respondents, one-third said they have experienced suicidal thoughts.
Over half of respondents said they experience work-related stress on a weekly basis.
Additionally, the report found various levels of substance use disorder among the state’s legal workforce.
Just over 11 percent of respondents identified as high risk for alcohol use disorder, while 22 percent report some recreational drug use or prescription drug misuse during the previous year.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O’Brien said the report provides a statewide picture of challenges that “too often remain out of sight.”
“People don’t come forward when they feel it will be used against them or that it’s such a taboo subject that they feel they can’t talk about it,” she said. “Our mission is to ensure they can talk about it. We want to be able to know what’s really going on and to be able to offer real solutions and things that can truly help them.”
Additionally, the report found levels of cognitive decline across the legal field.
About 39 percent of respondents said they have observed other lawyers who appear to show signs of cognitive decline, while 21 percent said they have seen judges who show signs of cognitive decline.
Dr. Diana Uchiyama, executive director of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, said the report highlights the need for reform in the space.
That includes greater education about behavioral health throughout a lawyer’s career, greater access to treatment and counseling resources and workplace policies that reduce stigma to services.
“The profession needs to act now,” she said. “Lawyers need to be able to take the time off they’ve earned, use workplace wellness resources and ask for help without worrying that it will be held against them. That requires more than having policies on the books. Legal employers have to create workplaces where the well-being of their people is reflected in how they operate every day.”