John Baxter
It is well documented that poor mental health is an increasingly serious problem affecting many in the legal profession. The survey conducted by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) earlier this year exposed worrying high levels of burnout. For example:
- 69% of respondents claimed that they had experienced mental-ill health in the 12 months before the survey
- Female participants averaged higher levels of burnout compared with their male counterparts
The professional culture of long hours, fiercely competitive environments, high-intensity workloads and the hyper-focusing on generating profits and billable hours by some practices, not to mention COVID-19, are all among a seemingly endless list of factors that continue to contribute to the profession’s mental health crisis.
In their article published in May this year, The Law Society once again addressed the need for a mental health culture change in the legal profession, highlighting key areas of focus and the advice and support available to legal professionals throughout the UK.
But can law firms do more to avert a mental health crisis within the profession?
The team at eAlliance Learning Technology has released a new programme of specialist online courses to support those trying to implement cultural change and raise awareness of the causes behind mental health. It provides law firms with:
- Practical guidance
- An understanding of the legal rights and obligations of lawyers and law firms with mental ill-health
- Insight on the potential consequences of impaired judgement
These ‘bite-sized’ courses and self-help videos can be tailored into programmes that meet the specific requirements of individuals and practices and cover common themes such as:
- Specific stressors within the legal profession
- Recognising and managing stress and symptoms of poor mental health
- Avoiding burnout and building resilience
- Dealing with anxiety and loneliness
- Your obligations and rights
- The SRA’s position on mental ill-health and misconduct
- Creating a culture of openness and mitigating pressure
- Monitoring work/life balance and considering resources and support for others
In addition to specialist programmes for legal professionals, eAlliance provides an extensive library of mental health and wellbeing courses and online resources to help every organisation tackle mental health and support the wellbeing of employees.
Email: enquiries@ea-learningtech.com
Tel: 01787 468512
This article was first published on the eAlliance website and can be found here.