LawCare research explores why men in the law don’t speak up about mental health
LawCare has identified that only 35% of their requests for support come from men.
LawCare, the mental wellbeing charity for the legal community, has released the findings of a focus group exploring men’s mental health in the legal profession.
The study was initiated following analysis of LawCare logs, which showed that only 35 percent of those seeking mental health support from the service were male.
In a society that has become more open and understanding of mental health issues, what is stopping men from accessing support?
The focus group included a diverse range of barristers, partners, mid-level, and junior associates, in house lawyers as well as those in support roles, from across the jurisdictions. It was facilitated by Nick Bloy, Founder of Wellbeing Republic.
Inconsistent responses and “box-ticking exercises” discourage men from seeking support in the workplace
A theme throughout the discussion was the fear men felt in disclosing any vulnerability, such as a need for mental health support. This derived partly from prevailing expectations of male lawyers who, the group felt, are expected to be “expert in everything, all of the time”.
However, it was also a result of poor and inconsistent experiences – either witnessed or suffered directly – when men tried to seek support.
Participants shared instances where being open about mental health struggles had ultimately led to dismissal.
Another noted that they had been led to believe a firm was positive about supporting mental health, but had been left feeling “penalised, isolated and alone” after seeking support, resulting in them leaving the firm.
Consequently, there is an unhealthy level of fear that disclosing mental health problems can have a negative impact on career prospects and working life.
Some firms’ mental health initiatives were revealed as largely “box-ticking exercises with nothing substantive to back it up” when support was sought.
Asking for help – feeling safe and supported
The focus group’s experience underlined that men must feel safe and encouraged to seek out support when they need it.
The response from leaders, managers and HR departments when someone opens up about mental health struggles is crucial, as it sets the tone for mental health awareness throughout the firm.
However, external support is also essential. Participants praised help available from organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and the benefits of 1-2-1 therapy, as well as the role of support groups for men recovering from mental ill-health.
Such groups were seen as particularly useful, as participants noted that men often have smaller friendship groups than women
Barriers to seeking support include a lack of emotional intelligence
Despite improvements in how firms manage mental health, men still find it hard to seek support. The focus group agreed that enduring expectations of both men and lawyers to be strong and self-reliant are a “double whammy” that deters many from seeking help.
The group questioned whether men have sufficiently sophisticated emotional intelligence and emotional vocabulary to express what they are feeling.
A dearth of male role models with strong skills in expressing emotion for boys and young men is compounded when they reach the workplace, where there are few men in senior leadership positions capable of leading on an emotional and psychological, as well as a practical, level.
Action on men’s mental health support
Following the focus group, LawCare identified a need to raise awareness of its services among men, with possibilities such as its inclusion in law firm and chamber inductions and greater prominence on key industry websites.
LawCare plans to explore the creation of specific support groups for men, as the group felt this would be particularly useful for the legal industry.
Within the industry, the group called for a change from the focus on billable hours and financials which, combined with a facetime culture and poor boundaries, leads to anxiety and burnout.
There is also a need for more role models willing to change the conversation on mental health and underline that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Commenting on the findings, Elizabeth Rimmer, Chief Executive of LawCare, said: “The recommendations of this report make it clear that there needs to be a joined up and concerted effort across the profession to challenge the stigma that prevents men from speaking up about their mental health and seeking support.
“We will continue to champion positive change and encourage more male role models to inspire men to seek help when they need it”.