Law Society supporting solicitors on World Mental Health Day

Reducing stigma around mental health is vital to employee wellbeing, the Law Society of England and Wales said as it released updated best practice guidance for World Mental Health Day 2019 (10 October).

The theme for World Mental Health day is suicide prevention and with one in 15 respondents of the 2019 junior lawyers survey stating that they had experienced suicidal thoughts, this guidance is timely for the solicitor profession.

The guidance has been designed as a resource to help organisations maximise their talent and provides best practice to support the wellbeing of its employees.

Law Society president Simon Davis said:

“The rewards of a legal career are many, but findings from the Junior Lawyers’ Resilience and Wellbeing Survey found that 93% of solicitor respondents reported feeling stressed and around half of respondents said that they had experienced mental ill health (whether formally diagnosed or not) in the month before completing the survey.

“It is important for us to use our research to create resources that will help us to meet our member’s needs.

“Supporting Wellbeing in the Workplace is an invaluable tool that will equip individuals and organisations with best practice on how to support the mental health of our members.”

The updated guidance makes recommendations for small, medium and large firms and features case studies from firms Pinsent Masons, Farrer & Co, Macfarlanes, Freeths, Giles Wilson and Thrive Law.

Kindly shared by The Law Society