Lawyers are like mental-functioning athletes, so decreasing stigma around mental health and fostering a supportive culture are essential for improving their well-being and professional performance, according to presenters at a recent webinar sponsored by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility and the Commission on Disability Rights.
Experts say mental health stigma often manifests as shame, blame or fear, discouraging individuals from seeking help.
During the program, “Reducing Mental Health Stigma in the Legal Profession,” James Keshavarz, chief wellness officer for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Gibson Dunn partner Charline Yim shared insights and strategies on how to cultivate a workplace that embraces individuals who have mental health struggles so that it benefits employees, employers and the profession at large.
“Mental health is the ability to cope with the normal stressors of life,” Keshavarz said. Although it may be defined as a problem in the legal profession, mental health “needs to be one of the main things we’re focusing on.”
He said implicit biases — the subconscious feelings, attitudes, prejudices and stereotypes a person has developed due to prior influences and imprints throughout their lives —”can also impact the way we view and treat those who face mental health challenges.”
Failure to take action when you face personal mental health problems or see a colleague struggling can lead to issues such as confidentiality breaches, cultural damage to a team or workplace and even raise the risk of malpractice, Keshavarz said.
In the context of mental health, stigma often manifests itself as shame, blame or fear, discouraging individuals from seeking help.
Many lawyers are afraid to disclose their mental health challenges because they do not want to be seen as weak or incompetent, Yim said.
The stigma may also impact their admission to the bar, drive fear of isolation or prompt them toward overwork or substance abuse as a coping mechanism.
Pushing through the pain in a profession that has a culture of perfectionism isn’t always a good thing, Keshavarz said. “Perfection has its benefits, but if it’s unchecked it can lead to burnout. It doesn’t need to be turned on at all times.”
Among the strategies to help combat mental health stigma, Keshavarz and Yim recommended:
• Promote self-awareness.
• Foster a supportive culture.
• Encourage open dialogue about mental health.
• Implement structural procedures and mechanisms, such as regular check-ins with employees.
• Focus on training and development of staff.
• Promote work-life balance.
• Facilitate transparent communication.
• Most of all, show your commitment to the cause. Becoming an advocate for mental health will “help those around you and fuel your own fire,” Keshavarz said.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025)
