Forty percent of lawyers report a depression diagnosis. Thirty six percent report an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Only fourteen percent of those who needed mental health support in the past year received it.
Key Takeaways
- 40% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives
- 17% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder at some point in their lives
- 36% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with anxiety disorder at some point in their lives
- 70% of lawyers report that they know where to find mental health resources, but only about 1 in 4 say they have used them
- Only 14% of lawyers who needed mental health support in the past year say they received it
- 38% of lawyers report concern that seeking mental health treatment could impact their license or career
- 21% of lawyers report taking time off due to mental health concerns
- 34% of lawyers say they have missed deadlines or work due to mental health symptoms
- 29% of lawyers report having experienced reduced productivity due to stress or mental health symptoms
- 29% of U.S. workers in “law” occupations reported unmet mental health need in 2020
- 4.4% of U.S. adults had serious mental illness in 2022
- 8.9% of U.S. adults reported having anxiety in 2022
Nearly two thirds of lawyers experience frequent work stress, and many struggle with untreated depression and anxiety.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence14 stats
01
40% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives
02
17% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder at some point in their lives
03
36% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with anxiety disorder at some point in their lives
04
33% of lawyers report having experienced symptoms of depression in the past 12 months
05
30% of lawyers report having experienced symptoms of anxiety in the past 12 months
06
61% of lawyers report that they experience work-related stress at least somewhat frequently
07
25% of lawyers report that they experience anxiety at a level that interferes with their daily functioning
08
22% of lawyers report having used medication to treat depression or anxiety in the past year
09
8% of lawyers report that they have seriously considered suicide at some point in their lives
10
1 in 5 lawyers report having experienced symptoms of a mental health condition severe enough to require treatment
11
36% of lawyers report feeling burned out at least some of the time
12
45% of lawyers report that they have experienced severe stress at some point in their careers
13
1 in 3 lawyers report that they struggle with depression and anxiety more than they have time to address
14
60% of lawyers say their mental health has affected their work performance at least occasionally
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
The prevalence data shows that mental health concerns are widespread among lawyers, with 40% reporting a lifetime depression diagnosis and 61% experiencing work related stress at least somewhat frequently, alongside high rates of anxiety and bipolar diagnoses.
02 · Category
Help Seeking13 stats
01
70% of lawyers report that they know where to find mental health resources, but only about 1 in 4 say they have used them
02
Only 14% of lawyers who needed mental health support in the past year say they received it
03
38% of lawyers report concern that seeking mental health treatment could impact their license or career
04
27% of lawyers say they are worried about confidentiality if they seek therapy
05
24% of lawyers report they did not seek help because they were concerned it would affect billable hours
06
20% of lawyers say they did not seek mental health care because they believed they should be able to handle it themselves
07
17% of lawyers say they delayed getting mental health care for at least a year
08
26% of lawyers report that stigma prevents them from seeking help
09
42% of lawyers say they would be more likely to seek help if confidentiality protections were clearer
10
29% of lawyers report having received mental health training or resources through their workplace
11
47% of lawyers report that employer support for mental health is inadequate
12
50% of lawyers who sought help say they encountered delays in accessing services
13
78% of lawyers say stress reduction and mental health support should be prioritized in the legal profession
Interpretation
Help Seeking Interpretation
Even though 70% of lawyers say they know where to find mental health resources, only about 1 in 4 have used them, showing that help seeking is still blocked for many by real-world concerns.
More related reading
03 · Category
Workplace Impact16 stats
01
21% of lawyers report taking time off due to mental health concerns
02
34% of lawyers say they have missed deadlines or work due to mental health symptoms
03
29% of lawyers report having experienced reduced productivity due to stress or mental health symptoms
04
16% of lawyers report having difficulty concentrating due to mental health symptoms
05
18% of lawyers report having difficulty sleeping due to stress or mental health symptoms
06
23% of lawyers report that stress or mental health symptoms negatively affected relationships at home
07
31% of lawyers report avoiding social interactions due to stress or mental health concerns
08
14% of lawyers report that mental health issues have increased their substance use
09
26% of lawyers report that their stress levels have worsened over the past year
10
37% of lawyers report that long working hours contribute to their mental health strain
11
25% of lawyers report that unreasonable demands are a significant driver of stress
12
19% of lawyers report that lack of control over their schedules increases their stress
13
28% of lawyers report that they feel unsupported by management with respect to mental health
14
33% of lawyers report that billing pressures are a major stressor
15
17% of lawyers report that they have taken sick days due to mental health symptoms
16
25% of lawyers report that they have contemplated leaving the profession due to mental health strain
Interpretation
Workplace Impact Interpretation
From a workplace impact perspective, nearly one in three lawyers report missed deadlines or work and 29% say stress or mental health symptoms reduce their productivity, showing how mental health issues can directly undermine lawyers’ day to day performance.
04 · Category
Broader Workforce Context11 stats
01
29% of U.S. workers in “law” occupations reported unmet mental health need in 2020
02
4.4% of U.S. adults had serious mental illness in 2022
03
8.9% of U.S. adults reported having anxiety in 2022
04
15.3% of U.S. adults reported frequent mental distress (14+ days in the past 30 days) in 2020
05
21% of U.S. adults reported suicidal thoughts in 2019
06
37.5% of U.S. adults reported they were not able to get needed mental health care in the past year in 2022
07
12.9% of U.S. adults had PTSD in 2019
08
8.1% of U.S. adults reported alcohol dependence or abuse in 2022
09
54% of workers reported burnout in 2021, including roles in professional services
10
76% of workers reported stress frequently in 2023 in the American Psychological Association survey
11
51% of lawyers report that stress in the workplace is at least a moderate problem
Interpretation
Broader Workforce Context Interpretation
Within the broader workforce context, mental health need is widespread across U.S. adults, with 37.5% unable to get needed care in 2022 and 21% reporting suicidal thoughts in 2019, suggesting that lawyers face not only profession-specific pressures but also a large, unmet mental health need in the overall workforce that can spill into their work lives.
report visual · Key figures
Lawyers’ Mental Health: Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment Gap
Depression/anxiety are common, but many lawyers also report interference at work and a large gap between knowing about resources and using them or receiving needed care.
40%
40% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives
36%
36% of lawyers report having been diagnosed with anxiety disorder at some point in their lives
61%
61% of lawyers report that they experience work-related stress at least somewhat frequently
60%
60% of lawyers say their mental health has affected their work performance at least occasionally
70%
70% of lawyers report that they know where to find mental health resources, but only about 1 in 4 say they have used the
14%
Only 14% of lawyers who needed mental health support in the past year say they received it
source-verifiedamericanbar.org
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Lawyers Mental Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lawyers-mental-health-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Lawyers Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lawyers-mental-health-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Lawyers Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lawyers-mental-health-statistics.
Sources & references
54 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+48 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)