News In Focus
10 February 2010
LawCare records rising stress levels
Stress levels in practising lawyers have risen sharply over the past year, according to the helpline service LawCare.
The support charity, which a year ago launched a free and confidential online tool designed to help lawyers assess, understand and manage the stress in their personal and professional lives, reports that by January 2010 the average stress score recorded in questionnaires had risen to 52%, compared with 39% among the test group who trialled the service prior to launch.
The rise was particularly marked among solicitors, whose stress levels jumped from 40% to 68% in the course of the year, and law students, up from 31% to 54%. Barristers went from 46% to 53%, but spiking in July 09 at 63%; legal executives from 47% to 51%; and support staff from 30% to 43%. Women on average showed higher rises than men.
LawCare says the statistics support the trend amongst calls to its 365-day a year helpline, which had its busiest year ever, with a 10% increase in callers complaining of stress.
LawCare's online service, the Wellbeing Portal, offers free and confidential help in identifying the sources of stress and creating a customised plan of action to combat the identified stressors. It also includes multimedia online learning about stress, its causes and how to reduce its impact, and downloadable Fact Sheets on a wide range of stress and wellbeing related topics. It is available to all members of the legal profession, including those who have retired, and support staff and families of lawyers.
Users log in privately and securely after creating a personal account.
Click here to visit the website.