New “Wellness Columnist” Darryl Singer wants to shine a spotlight on health and well-being of lawyers. Many lawyers suffer from mental health issues, including rates of depression as high as 33 per cent, two to three times higher than the general population (law students suffer depression rates of 40 per cent).
As a result, many lawyers suffer from alcoholism and substance abuse issues at twice the rates of the general population, especially cocaine and prescription drugs. Substance abuse increases with years of practice.
Not surprisingly, a reported 25 per cent of the lawyers facing disciplinary issues suffer from drugs, alcohol or depression.
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