A new national study is raising concerns about lawyer mental health, burnout, and stress. It found high rates of depression, anxiety, stress, burnout, and risky alcohol use among U.S. lawyers.
Researchers surveyed about 37,000 active U.S. lawyers across 28 jurisdictions. The American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and Krill Strategies released the findings in September 2026.
The study is titled
When Demands Equal Distress: An Updated Understanding of Lawyer Mental Health and Well-being. It updates a major 2016 study by the ABA and Hazelden Betty Ford.
The findings do not mean every lawyer is struggling. However, they show that lawyer burnout and mental health problems remain common in the legal field.
Key Takeaways
The study found several major trends:
- 21.7% of lawyers had moderate to extremely severe depression symptoms.
- 20.4% had moderate to extremely severe anxiety symptoms.
- 18.9% had moderate to extremely severe stress symptoms.
- 47.4% screened positive for high burnout.
- 15.6% had severe burnout.
- 41.8% screened positive for risky drinking.
- 35.9% reported high or very high work-family conflict.
- 41.1% said their legal careers had harmed their mental health.
- 27% had considered leaving the profession because of mental health issues, burnout, or stress.
- 81% said the legal field should do more to address mental health and substance use.
Overall, the study gives a broad view of mental health in the legal profession. It also links well-being to work hours, career stage, and workplace conditions.
Lawyer Mental Health Remains a Concern
Lawyers reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.
About 21.7% had moderate to extremely severe depression symptoms. Another 20.4% had anxiety symptoms.
Meanwhile, 18.9% had stress symptoms.
Researchers also compared the new results with the 2016 study. The share of lawyers with at least mild symptoms rose in all three areas.
Depression rose from 28% in 2016 to 32.7%. Anxiety rose from 19% to 26.9%. Stress increased from 23% to 30.2%.
These results show that mental health remains a major concern for lawyers. This comes despite more attention to attorney wellness.
Many Lawyers Say Legal Work Hurt Their Mental Health
The survey also asked lawyers about their careers.
About 41.1% said their legal careers had harmed their mental health. Also, 27% had considered leaving the profession because of mental health issues, burnout, or stress.
These numbers may matter to law firms and recruiters.
Hiring lawyers is only one part of the challenge. Firms must also retain lawyers who face heavy workloads.
Workplace pressure may affect whether lawyers stay in the field.
Lawyer Burnout Is Rising
Burnout was another key finding.
Nearly half of the lawyers surveyed, or 47.4%, screened positive for high burnout. Another 15.6% had severe burnout.
The researchers describe burnout as mental and physical exhaustion caused by work.
The study also gives a national estimate of lawyer burnout. This gives law firms more data on the scale of the problem.
Long Hours Raise Stress
Work hours also played a role.
Lawyers who worked 71 or more hours per week had much higher rates of stress and burnout.
The adjusted stress rate was 42.7% for this group. It was 13.7% among lawyers who worked about 40 hours.
High burnout reached 67.1% among lawyers who worked 71 hours or more each week.
The findings show a strong link between long hours, stress, and burnout.
However, the study does not prove that long hours alone cause mental health problems. It shows that very long work hours are linked to higher risks.
Work-Family Conflict Adds More Pressure
Work-life balance was another concern.
About 35.9% of lawyers reported high or very high work-family conflict. The rate was higher among lawyers with high burnout.
Among lawyers in the top 10% for burnout, high work-family conflict added 15.5 percentage points to stress risk.
Heavy workloads may leave lawyers with less time to recover. Work pressure may also affect family life.
Younger Lawyers Face Higher Risks
Career stage also made a difference.
The study found that younger lawyers had the highest mental health risk. Researchers also found differences in depression, anxiety, and stress across career groups.
This may matter to law firms and recruiters.
Young attorneys often start their careers with heavy workloads. They may also face high career demands.
As a result, firms looking to retain young lawyers may need to consider more than pay.
Mentoring may help. Flexible work may also help. Manageable workloads and private support can provide other options.
Litigation Lawyers Face More Risk
Practice area also showed differences in lawyer well-being.
Lawyers working in litigation reported higher levels of burnout. They also showed higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress.
The risks were even higher among litigators who worked very long hours.
Litigation can involve tight deadlines. Client demands can add pressure. Court schedules can also create stress.
Still, the findings do not mean every litigator struggles with mental health. They show higher risks within this group.
Private Practice Has Higher Distress
The type of legal workplace also made a difference.
Solo lawyers and attorneys at private firms showed higher predicted levels of distress and burnout.
In-house lawyers showed lower predicted levels. The same was true for lawyers in judicial or academic roles.
These differences may matter when attorneys consider career changes.
For example, a lawyer leaving private practice may look at workload and schedule. Salary may also be a factor.
Workplace culture and career goals can matter too.
Risky Alcohol Use Persists
Alcohol use was another important finding.
About 41.8% of lawyers screened positive for risky drinking under standard clinical measures.
Meanwhile, 26.3% met the higher cutoff used in the 2016 study for hazardous drinking.
There was some improvement in this area.
The rate of hazardous drinking was lower than in the 2016 study. So, not every measure of lawyer wellness has worsened.
Still, alcohol risk remains an important issue for the legal field.
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