Law Students and Mental Health: A Crisis
Students at Macquarie University scale the old library, c 1993. Wikimedia Commons
With exam season approaching, stress amongst students is increasing. However, law students in particular are facing an added pressure, as this is the first semester in which in-person invigilated exams have returned for the Priestley 11. In fact, considering the nature of the content we deal with, it should come as little to no surprise that law students have the poorest mental health. [1]
‘Vulnerability’ is not typically a word associated with law students. [2] Instead, law students are seen as ‘privileged’, ‘successful’ and ‘intelligent’. [3] But the danger of falling into this pattern of thinking is that the concerns, particularly those surrounding mental health, of law students are easier to dismiss. This leads to three questions:
What are the causes of poor law student mental health?
What are the consequences?
What can be done about this?
1. CAUSES
There are undoubtedly many causes for the poor mental health experienced by law students, however one of the most prevalent reasons is high personal expectations. [4] Law students are highly competitive, [5] and often expect outstanding results from themselves. Such high standards and search for perfectionism are associated with an increased risk of depression. [6] The worries surrounding performance and whether one is good enough to succeed in a career in such a competitive field also increase the risk of anxiety and poor mental health. [7] There are many other factors that can influence the mental health of law students, however, these are some of the most common.
2. CONSEQUENCES
The consequences of allowing things to continue this way can be dire. A study of over 1,800 first-year students has shown that more than 25% of law students have ‘reported having suicide ideation over a 12-month period’. [8] Furthermore, 14.9% of law students have ‘reported a suicide plan’ compared to 7.4% of all students. [9] However, perhaps the most harrowing of all the statistics revealed in this study shows that law students were more than twice as likely to have made a suicide attempt in this period than other students. [10] Thus, it is evident that there is a significant disparity between the mental health of law students compared to the general student population, and the consequences of this are too serious to ignore.
3. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS?
As more research is published about the nature of law students’ mental health struggles, more attention and care is being given to preventative measures as opposed to attempting to make amends once it is too late. For example, more universities are beginning to take notice of the issue of student mental health in general, and have implemented measures to help. In Australia, fostering student engagement in the development of university wellbeing policies and programs appears to be one of the most recommended strategies for combating this growing problem. [11] After all, what better way is there to gauge what students need than by asking them? Similarly, another emerging global idea is for universities to integrate different teaching methods and structure their law school curriculums in a way that makes students feel comfortable asking for help. [12]
Furthermore, law students in particular have very demanding schedules. Looking at how we can effectively use our spare time to improve our mental health is another good strategy. A study from Monash University took the responses of 206 law students and analysed the correlation between stress, anxiety and depression with student behaviours. [13] The conclusion of this study recommends that as law students have minimal free time, it is important for them to spend quality time with people they care about in order to decompress. [14] It explains that rather than increasing the quantity of time students spend relaxing, it is better to make sure the limited time they do spend doing so is effective.
4. CONCLUSION
Evidence gathered from worldwide research shows that the declining mental health of law students is a crisis that cannot and should not be ignored. It is also not a problem that has one definitive solution. Working towards reducing this stress, anxiety and depression requires specific and prolonged cooperation between law students and universities, as it is only with the efforts of all parties that we can hope to see improvement. Three areas to focus on are: (a) involving students in wellbeing policies, (b) reconsidering teaching methods and the curriculum, and (c) allowing law students to spend quality time with loved ones to decompress.
Hopefully, with more research and attention given to this topic we can see a positive change in the mental health of law students.
[1] Elisa G Lewis and Jacqueline M Cardwell, ‘A comparative study of mental health and wellbeing among UK students on professional degree programmes’ (2018) 43(9) Journal of Further and Higher Education 1226, 1235.
[2] Graham Ferris, ‘Law-students wellbeing and vulnerability’ (2022) 56(1) The Law Teacher 5, 6.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Matthew M. Dammeyer and Narina Nunez, ‘Anxiety and Depression among Law Students: Current Knowledge and Future Directions’ (1999) 23(1) Law and Human Behaviour 55, 71.
[5] Massimiliano Tani and Prue Vines, ‘Law Students' Attitudes to Education: Pointers to Depression in the Legal Academy and the Profession’ (2009) 19(1) Legal Education Review 3, 4.
[6] Michele W Gazica, Samantha Rae Powers and Stacey R Kessler, ‘Imperfectly perfect: Examining psychosocial safety climate's influence on the physical and psychological impact of perfectionism in the practice of law’ (2021) 39(6) Behavioural Sciences & the Law 741, 745.
[7] Ian Ayres et al, ‘Anxiety Psychoeducation for Law Students: A Pilot Program’ (2017) 67(1) Journal of Legal Education 118, 119.
[8] Jerome Doraisamy, ‘Law students have highest alcohol misuse, suicide ideation rates’, Lawyers Weekly (online, 12 January 2023) <https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/careers/36437-law-students-have-highest-alcohol-misuse-suicide-ideation-rates>.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Chi Baik, Wendy Larcombe and Abi Brooker, ‘How universities can enhance student mental wellbeing: the student perspective’ (2019) 38(4) Higher Education Research & Development 674, 677.
[12] Lydia Katherine Bleasdale, ‘Introduction’ in Lydia Katherine Bleasdale (ed) How to Offer Effective Wellbeing Support to Law Students (Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2024) 1, 3.
[13] Natalie Skead and Shane L Rogers, ‘Stress, Anxiety and Depression in Law Students: How Student Behaviours Affect Student Wellbeing’ (2014) 40(2) Monash University Law Review 564.
[14] Ibid 583.