Going On
According to a study conducted by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 2016, 28% of attorneys experience depression, 19% experience anxiety and 23% experience chronic stress. In a survey conducted by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the ABA, 21% of attorneys qualify as problem drinkers, 28% struggle with depression and 19% struggle with anxiety. In a 2016 survey, out of sample of 12,825 attorneys, 11.9 % reported suicidal thoughts, 2.9% reported self-injurious behaviour and 0.7% reported at least 1 prior suicide attempts. These are all American statistics from 2016. At the time of writing, I did not find any statistics on substance abuse among Malaysian lawyers just as there are no statistics on suicides among Malaysian lawyers. All we have are newspaper reports from time to time of fellow practitioner ending their life. No statistics. None that I know of. We ought to have it. So that we can know exactly the price to pay for practicing law. Ours is a profession of constant s...