Are Law Schools Doing Enough On Mental Health?
Law schools aren’t doing enough for mental health.
At least, that’s what law school grads are saying.
A recent survey by Kaplan Bar Review polled more than 300 recent law school grads and found that only 29% think their law school does enough in the area of mental health to help students who may be experiencing high levels of academic stress. Another 40% say that their law school doesn’t do enough, with 31% saying they don’t know.
“What students are telling us is that law schools need to do a better job of providing the kinds of services that they need for self-care, and also communicating how those services can help them. This is an important conversation to have. We have to conquer the stigma traditionally associated with mental health, particularly in the legal community,” says Tammi Rice, vice president of the Kaplan Bar Review
Focus on Mental Health
The survey comes at a time when mental health has become the center of conversation amongst many college campuses.
Reuters recently reported how mental health diagnostics—including anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic attacks—are rising among US college students.
Rice says the month of May is particularly important when it comes to mental health.
“May, in particular, can be an emotionally taxing month in the life of law school graduates, as it is when they begin preparing to take the July bar exam. We strongly encourage law students who need help during this time to reach out to their law school. Law schools want to make sure that as many of their students as possible pass the bar, so they have a vested interest in ensuring their students are ready in every way for Test Day.”
Sources: Kaplan Bar Review, Reuters