LSB April 2018_Web

Depression and anxiety –
a bio-psychosocial problem
WELLBEING AND RESILIENCE COMMITTEE
In 2017, the World Health Organisation
declared depression as the leading
cause of disability worldwide. We know
depression and anxiety is a major issue in
the Australian legal profession.
According to WHO 1 :
• Depression is a common mental
disorder which results from a complex
interaction of social, psychological and
biological factors.
• Depression is the leading cause of
disability worldwide.
• More women are affected by depression
than men.
• At its worst, depression can lead to
suicide.
• There are effective treatments for
depression.
• Effective community prevention
programmes have been shown to
reduce depression.
Research points to psychological and
social factors as playing a significant role
in mental health and wellbeing, in addition
to biological causes. There is a natural
and basic need to feel that you belong
and are connected to others. Factors
include whether you have a community,
meaningful values and meaningful
work, and whether you feel that you are
respected and have a secure future.
Consider these factors in the context of
our legal community. It becomes readily
apparent why some of these factors are
likely to have a material impact on the
current state of wellbeing of so many
lawyers. First, underlying the potential
for isolation and disconnection is about
three quarters of the lawyers practising
in this State are either sole practitioners
or at firms with less than five lawyers.
Second, the volume and nature of legal
work available must play a significant role -
constant worry of what’s in the “pipeline”
of work flow; the tensions between
aspirations as to the type of lawyer you
wanted to be and the reality of the legal
work available to you. These issues apply
across the spectrum of legal practices, big
and small.
It is in this context that the Wellbeing
and Resilience Committee of the Law
Society is effectively mandated to search
for ways to reduce and prevent the
prevalence of depression and anxiety in
the legal profession in South Australia.
Inroads have been made. There
does seem to be, at least, broad
acknowledgment within the legal
profession of an unacceptably high
prevalence of depression and anxiety. The
courage and dignity of some lawyers and
members of the judiciary in speaking out
about their personal mental health issues
has advanced the cause significantly.
But this is not enough, nor can a small
group of lawyers and a dedicated HR
professional on a Committee address
all of the psychosocial factors in play
in our legal community on their own.
The stigma is ever present, as is the fear
of damaging future career prospects
by disclosing mental health issues. Real
and sustainable change requires effective
community programmes. The problem and the
commitment to change must be owned by
all members of the legal community.
Over the next month, the Committee will
be finalising some key objectives, initiatives
and desired outcomes for the next 12
months. You are invited to contribute to
this process by emailing your thoughts
and ideas to the Committee CRP at
Gianna.DiStefano@lawsocietysa.asn.au
by 30 April 2018.
Endnotes
1 Depression Fact Sheet Updated February 2017,
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/
fs369/en/
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