Higher education is a stressful venture for most students. A new survey has found law students to be more stressed and depressed than their counterparts in other disciplines.
The survey was conducted by researchers from Brain and Mind Research Institute, in New South Wales, Australia. It involved 738 law students, 751 barristers and 924 solicitors. The researchers compared the stress levels of the law students with their counterparts in medical school.
Presenting the findings at the third annual Tristan Jepson Memorial Oration, lead researcher Prof Ian Hickie said more than 40 percent of law students had symptoms of moderate to severe depression. Furthermore 16 percent of practicing lawyers had mood disorders.
The legal professionals also appeared to be more worried about alcohol and substance abuse rather than their depressive symptoms.
Some of the reasons for law students and lawyers to fall a victim to mental disorders include the urge to excel in a combative environment as well as the need to compromise ethics during the course of their careers. Additionally the long work hours during the beginning of one’s career leave no room for family life and may contribute to emotional handicap.
The legal profession has taken note of this risk for students as well as professionals. However the competitive environment as well as the ceaseless demands will always put pressure on legal professionals. The trick is to find the right balance between work and pleasure.
TUESDAY, September 23, (News Locale)
Written by Sapna Mhatre