A ‘Sense of Desperation’ Among NY Lawyers Seeking Help for Depression
The leader of a new support group for lawyers dealing with the economic downturn says attendees are dealing with a lack of sympathy and increased frustrations caused by fruitless job searches.
The licensed psychologist and lawyer leading the group is Sylvan Schaffer, the New York Law Journal reports. The program, which attracted 31 lawyers for the first session, is sponsored by the New York City Bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program.
“I was getting quite a few calls from people that were depressed, burned out,” Schaffer told the legal publication.
“A lot of them say the same type of things—people don’t respond to resumé solicitations, not even a call back,” Schaffer said. “There’s a sense of desperation.”
Schaffer, who is of counsel to Jackson Lewis, said the support group helps lawyers stay positive and brainstorm about creative ways to search for jobs.
“Attorneys really don’t get sympathy. People assume that attorneys are rich and have jobs,” he told the publication.
Leaders of several lawyer assistance programs told the National Law Journal in May that more lawyers are seeking help for depression and substance abuse, and the economic downturn is likely a factor.
Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, says personality characteristics often associated with lawyers, such as perfectionism and competitiveness, when combined with depression may be contributing to a higher suicide rate in the legal profession.
