Did you know that compared to the general public, studies show that lawyers are three times more likely to be clinically depressed and more than twice as likely to suffer from alcohol-related problems? Studies indicate that people suffering from depression, alcohol, and drug-related problems are also more likely to die by suicide.
According to a recent Canadian survey conducted by Ipsos Reid on lawyer wellness, 64 percent of legal professionals in Alberta have personally experienced stress or burnout, 45 percent have suffered from anxiety, 27 percent have dealt with depression, and 36 percent of respondents reported experiencing emotional distress.
These and other personal difficulties lawyers experience are extremely serious. These problems can kill – people, reputations, and businesses. These issues affect members of the profession regardless of gender, seniority, practice-type, size of firm, or geographical location.
Assist is the Alberta Lawyer’s Assistance Society, a registered charity independent of the Law Society of Alberta. In 2012, 400 individuals accessed professional counseling services through Assist. We anticipate that even more will access the program in 2013. In 2011, Assist reached an important milestone in developing a Peer Support program, and since then, Assist has trained 40 volunteer lawyers to offer encouragement, hope, and support to colleagues in need.
Assist knows there is a lot at stake – personal health and relationships, thriving legal practices, positive work environments, our collective reputation, and the privilege of a self-regulated profession. A fully funded Assist program helps protect all of these important objectives.
Your tax-deductible donation of $150, month donation of $25, or any amount you can contribute will help Assist prevent personal, family, or professional crisis.
Assist’s Strategic Plan
With support from individuals like you, Assist has helped Alberta lawyers in crisis for over 27 years. Assist’s long-term goal is prevention, to help lawyers get ahead of the crisis curve. The goal is to prevent stress from becoming distress, prevent distress from developing into crisis, and prevent crisis from becoming terminal.
Assist understands that a legal career can be very rewarding; it can also be mentally, emotionally, and physically demanding. We all deserve to work in a profession that cares for our community to provide support to lawyers and their families so they can, in turn, help others.
According to Ipsos Reid’s survey on lawyer wellness, Assist received high ratings for program awareness and effectiveness. Of Alberta respondents, 98 percent agreed that lawyer assistance programs provide important services to the legal profession. Of the Alberta respondents who have used Assist, 83 percent indicated that the program helped. Nevertheless, survey responses indicated that stigma relating to physical and mental illness is prevalent in the profession and is a barrier to seeking help when needed.
Assist is committed to working to endure the culture of the legal profession is open to discussing and learning about health and wellness, with a view to preventing serious problems from occurring. This will be achieved through continuing initiatives offering:
- Professional Counselling
- Peer Support
- Education
- Communication
Due to increased awareness of Assist, use of professional counselling has doubled in the past two years. We are continuing to respond to an increase in demand for education and peer support. We hope we can count on you to support your colleagues and your profession by making a donation today.
As a lifelong partner of legal education in Alberta, LESA would like to help promote communication initiatives within the legal community. If you have an initiative or project that would be of interest to the legal community, please contact to Communications Manager Linda Wilkinson at [email protected].
