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November 24, 2021 LAWYER WELLNESS

Dissenting from Death: Preventing Lawyer Suicide

Michael S. Webb

As the holidays creep closer on the calendar, chances are that a depressed lawyer in the United States is contemplating  suicide before December 31, 2021 arrives.

Statistics on the suicide rate of lawyers in the United States are cause for concern. The Dave Nee Foundation in New York, a think tank for the study of lawyer depression, ranks American lawyers 5th occupationally in the incidence of suicide. According to the Nee Foundation, lawyers are the most frequently depressed occupational group in the United States and are 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression than nonlawyers. Approximately, 26% of lawyers who seek counseling admit that they suffer from anxiety and depression.

Research by the Nee Foundation conducted in the State of North Carolina revealed that over 25% of North Carolina lawyers experience physical symptoms of extreme anxiety at least three times per month each year, with 37% of  North Carolina lawyers  suffering from depression, and 11% of North Carolina lawyers suffering from suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation means simply having thoughts or ideas about the possibility of ending one's life.

Recognizing that depression and suicide are serious problems for North Carolina Lawyers., the North Carolina State Bar supports North Carolina Help for Depressed Lawyers (nclap.org). Its agenda includes depression and suicide for all members of the legal profession. North Carolina requires attendance at a CLE course regarding substance abuse and lawyer mental health at once every three years in addition to suicide prevention training for CLE credit. A North Carolina lawyer CLE Suicide Prevention Course prominently published the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK)  when listing Suicide Warning Signs.

Other states sponsor or support similar organizations for lawyers suffering from depression or suicidal ideation.