The Mindful Lawyer: Investigating the Effects of Two Online Mindfulness Programs on Self-Reported Well-Being in the Legal Profession

Towards a context-specific approach to understanding lawyers' well-being: a synthesis review and future research agenda

Legal sector organisations face mounting pressure to protect and promote lawyers' well-being. However, knowledge is fragmented, hindering research and practice development. Our review investigated current conceptual understanding and empirical evidence of contextual influences. We systematically mapped the global scholarly and grey literature published since 1970, reviewing 145 relevant publications. Lawyers' well-being is conceptualised primarily as ill-being, despite well-being's positive facets. Empirical consideration of work context is mostly absent, though we deduce a focus on large commercial law firm practice and public service/legal aid. Our explanatory synthesis is abductive, coalescing Bourdieu's concepts of field and habitus with Hobfoll's conservation of resources theory to explain how context influences lawyers' well-being via distinct resource losses. We urge theoretical development to elucidate the role of context and theory-driven research on the cumulative effects of resource loss and gain. Recommendations for practice include a renewed focus on job design and line management upskilling.

Suicide among lawyers: Role of job problems

INTRODUCTION

Suicide research has neglected the legal profession. The present investigation determines what risk factors distinguish lawyers' suicides from those of the general population. Given the substantial investment in their careers, client dependency, and ongoing stress of work, job problems are seen as key potential drivers of lawyers' suicides.

METHODOLOGY

Data are from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). They refer to 30,570 suicides. Fifteen predictors, including social strains, psychiatric morbidity, and demographics, are assessed as possible drivers of lawyers' suicides. The dependent variable is a dichotomy where lawyers' suicides = 1 and other suicides = 0.

RESULTS

The results of a multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the other 14 risk factors, lawyers' suicides were 91% more apt (Odds ratio = 1.91, CI: 1.17, 3.14) than other suicides to have job problems that contributed to their suicide. Other constructs differentiating lawyers' suicides from other suicides included presence of a known mental health problem, age, presence of a known substance abuse problem, and marital status. The full model correctly classified 99.57% of the suicides.

CONCLUSION

Job problems can serve as a key warning sign for lawyers' suicides. This is the first investigation of the drivers of lawyers' suicides.

Use of Mobile Apps and Online Programs of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Training in Workers: A Scoping Review

Mindfulness and self-compassion interventions are two strategies helpful in preventing and reducing burnout and work stress. However, professionals with overburdened schedules can experience obstacles in learning and practicing these interventions, originally taught with lengthy programs. The use of digital technologies could make these interventions more accessible to workers, as studied in a recent, growing body of evidence. The evidence available is diverse in terms of interventions, designs, outcomes, and populations. This calls for a review that can take into consideration this diversity while still rigorously synthesize it. Scoping reviews are designed to examine emerging evidence and summarize the evidence on a specific topic of interest. The present scoping review aims to assess the current state of the literature on the use of online programs and mobile applications of self-compassion, mindfulness, and meditation (digital mindfulness-based interventions; dMBIs) by workers. More specifically, information on the type of intervention, population, advantages, and disadvantages, measured outcomes, and advice for future research are gathered. MEDLINE (PubMed; Ovid), PsychInfo (Ovid), and Web of Science (Clarivate) were searched to identify all relevant articles. The screening process resulted in 56 articles being included in this scoping review. Inclusion criteria were (1) participants are workers; (2) the intervention is individual, digital, and mindfulness/self-compassion/meditation-based; and (3) articles were available in French or English language at the time of the review. Interventions used were mostly mindfulness-based, equally categorized under web-based and app-based interventions. Most interventions included information on mindfulness, meditation or self-compassion, meditation exercises, other types of exercises, instructions on how to use, and reminders. dMBIs are often studied in the healthcare population and predominantly in female samples. Although dMBIs present advantages (low cost, accessibility, practicality, feasibility), obstacles can arise in their implementation (low engagement and motivation, concerns about confidentiality). Included articles measured outcomes related to work, mindfulness or self-compassion, and other psychological variables (stress/anxiety, depression, resilience, wellbeing). Articles provided important directions to further research on dMBIs regarding methodological aspects, modality and intervention, and individual and organizational questions. dMBIs are becoming more popular and interventions are diverse. Although not without limitations, this scoping provided a synthesis on different aspects of the use of dMBIs within workers and highlighted pertinent future research directions.