Suffering in silence

Men in the legal profession are less likely than their female counterparts to seek help when it comes to their mental health. LawCare’s Elizabeth Rimmer examines why men aren’t speaking up

As the mental wellbeing charity for the legal profession, at LawCare we offer free, confidential, emotional support to anyone working in the law. Last year, we identified that men were less likely to contact us than women working in the profession.

A significant majority – approximately 65% – of the people using our support services were female, and only 35% male. So, why weren’t male legal professionals talking to us about their mental health?

We organised an all-male focus group to better understand why men in law were not speaking up.

Strong and perfect

The group helped us to identify specific challenges that arose for male lawyers. As men, there is still a palpable expectation that they should be strong, not display vulnerability, and be able to shoulder the burden of personal problems by themselves.

“As men, there is still a palpable expectation that they should be strong and not display vulnerability” 

Working as a lawyer adds further pressure to this sense of needing to appear perfect to the outside world – the perception that lawyers need to have all the answers. This, combined with the expectations men experience, can make it very difficult to reach out for help.

One member of the focus group suggested that we need to redefine what ‘manliness’ is. It should not be about downing seven shots of whiskey to prove how much of a man you are or working yourself towards a state of burnout.

Long hours

There was a consensus that lawyers tend to take on more work than they have time for, leaving many feeling overstretched most of the time. Lawyers consistently work long hours to demonstrate their commitment to the profession or their organisation. This culture can amplify the issues that men already face when it comes to talking about their mental health.

Uncertainty about opening up 

Men can also be uncertain about opening up about a mental health issue at work, or even acknowledging to themselves that they have an issue.

Men in the legal profession, at all stages in their careers, may worry that seeking help will negatively impact their career and affect their family’s welfare. They might worry about whether ‘the whole thing is going to crumble’ or – if they or their career were to fall apart – question what will happen to their family and who will support them.

Emotional competence

Another barrier that can prevent men from reaching out for help is that some simply don’t have the emotional vocabulary to understand or express their experiences effectively. One focus group member reflected on the fact that he had spent most of his life telling people what he thought but very much struggled to talk about how he felt.

It is evident that despite the increased awareness and understanding of mental health in legal workplaces, there remain significant barriers to men seeking support. 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. LawCare will continue to champion positive change and encourage more male role models to inspire men to seek help when they need it.

Elizabeth Rimmer is CEO of LawCare. LawCare support services can be accessed through the website or on 0800 279 6888