What Is Mental Health?
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
It is known to many that law as an academic discipline is extensive and challenging. For example, in India, out of the lakhs of applicants every year, a few thousand get the opportunity to enroll in a leading law school. From the moment one enters the world of legal education, there is a constant drive to prove one’s capabilities. In the race with one’s law school mates, mental health and well-being often ceases to become a priority.
In this article, the issue and importance of mental health in law school is discussed at length. Read on!
The Alarming Condition Of Mental Health In Law School
With a massive curriculum and lack of proper management on the part of law schools, the immense stress that comes with studying law takes a heavy toll on many. In societies like India, where talking about mental health is still hush-hush, the adverse effects on students are unfathomable.
This is what mental health in law school usually looks like:
- The depression rates in law students increase from 10% to 40% over the course of law school, according to a survey conducted by the Dave Nee Foundation. Furthermore, this tendency towards depression follows many graduates into their practice years.
- Another study found that 96% of law students suffer from significant stress in their lives, compared to 70% of medical students and 43% of graduate students in general. In face of such obstacles, law students now more than ever need to take care of their mental health.
- Seeking assistance for mental health and well-being is perhaps the first step to a better trajectory. However, a 2016 report clearly states that 42% of law students feel that they require mental health counselling, but only half seek it out. This lack of initiative is considered a major impediment to resolve deep-seated issues that become more problematic if not addressed in time.
- Poor mental health in an individual also leads to related issues such as alcoholism. Law students are no exception. Yet one more survey conducted among 3000 law students across 15 law schools show that 25% of law students were at risk for alcoholism as a means of coping with the intense stress. The survey revealed that 43% of students resorted to binge drinking at least once a week, some even twice. Even more shocking was the fact that 21% of the surveyed students reported serious thoughts of suicide in their lifetimes, with 6% reporting suicidal thoughts in the previous year.
Why Is Law School So Hectic?
- There Is Little To No Free Time
Having an adequate amount of free time is important for many as it allows people an opportunity to rest, recharge and attend to personal matters. For example, it provides a chance to spend some quality time with the family. However, as a law student, having free time at all is a myth. No matter how well you manage your time, there is no lack of work pending. This is an immense disadvantage in the legal education sphere that often continues into the professional experience as a lawyer.
- Cutthroat Competition
A major reason for this massive rate of depression is understood to be the Darwinian environment of constant competition that students are subjected to. The constant pressure of doing well and staying ahead of the curve adds up to severe psychological distress for many.
Another factor that adds to the competition is the pressure of securing access to the best opportunities in terms of co-curriculars and internships.
- Variety Of Activities
Compared to other academic pursuits, where the curriculum consists of mostly core academics, law schools involves a host of other mandatory activities for essential skill development such as moot court competitions, writing research papers on a regular basis, mock trial competitions, negotiation and client counselling competitions, drafting exercises, internships and so on. Balancing all these with a large volume of texts can be an extremely difficult task for many.
Identifying Mental Ailments
Identifying the warning signs of your mental health is extremely important as ignoring these indications that lead to a larger mental ailment. Many students have the tendency to brush off what they are feeling as an individual and focus on studies or work instead- this must be avoided at all cost.
Some of the common mental health ailments that law students fall victim to include:
DEPRESSION
Students suffering from depression can experience ongoing feelings of sadness and loneliness, difficulty sleeping, and other depression symptoms that range from mild to severe. These symptoms may seem minor at first but can escalate quickly. Following are the some of the detailed symptoms of depression:
- Feeling sad or anxious often or all the time
- Not wanting to do activities that used to be fun
- Feeling irritable‚ easily frustrated‚ or restless
- Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Waking up too early or sleeping too much
- Eating more or less than usual or having no appetite
- Experiencing aches, pains, headaches, or stomach problems that do not improve with treatment
- Having trouble concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions
- Feeling tired‚ even after sleeping well
- Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless
- Thinking about suicide or hurting yourself
ANXIETY
As far as stress and anxiety is considered, these must not be taken any less seriously than depression. In fact, diagnosed anxiety can severely hamper your functioning as an individual and therefore it is important to remain proactive in addressing these issues in law school. Following are some of the symptoms of anxiety:
- Feeling restless, wound-up, or on-edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Having difficulty concentrating; mind going blank
- Being irritable
- Having muscle tension
- Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
- Having sleep problems, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, restlessness, or unsatisfying sleep
- Heart palpitations, a pounding heartbeat, or an accelerated heart rate
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Sensations of shortness of breath, smothering, or choking
- Feelings of impending doom
- Feelings of being out of control
ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)
Law students who experience ADHD may find it difficult to focus in class and outside of it. They are also prone to acting without thinking, periods of restlessness and excessive activity, and frequently forgetting or losing things.
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
It is no secret that practices of drug abuse are prevalent at college and university campuses across the country, even though the college authorities as well as law enforcement are taking steps to curb the same. Law schools, too, are no exception. The hectic schedule and innumerable challenges in a law student’s day to day to life may result in a tendency to consume excessive alcohol or resort to drug abuse.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms for depression or anxiety, we strongly recommend you reach out to a mental health professional for deeper assistance. Your health is undoubtedly your biggest asset and taking care of it must come as a priority before anything else.
Taking Care Of Your Mental Health
Mental health ailments are like any other illness- and therefore, prevention is most certainly better than cure. One must inculcate the practice of treating mental health on a pedestal equivalent to that of physical health. While we go to gymnasiums and eat healthy food to upkeep our body, certain measures can also be adopted to make sure that our mental health is given the same degree of care. Here are some things to do:
- Developing A Support System
Develop a support system of well-wishes from among family members, friends and peers who have similar mindsets and goals in life. Stay in touch with them via phone calls, texts or other channels. Remember, to receive support one must also be willing to lend support to others. Having people to rely on ensures that you will undergo significantly less stress in a critical situation.
- Remain Hydrated
Drink a sufficient amount of water every day. With proper hydration, a law student may enjoy an improved mood and other mental health benefits.
- Getting The Required Shut-Eye
Despite the hectic schedule, find the time to get sufficient rest- at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. That will make sure you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle any challenges that come your way.
- Reward Yourself For Those Small Achievements
Use rewards to celebrate the fact that each day represents a milestone in the quest to earn a law degree. For instance, setting up a time to go to a movie with friends following a law exam can give you motivation to perform their best on the test. When the exam is completed, the student can celebrate their accomplishment by attending the movie with their friends.
- Staying As Active As Possible
Exercising regularly is important to combat anxiety and depression. Furthermore, make a habit to attend social events and take advantage of any opportunities to build friendships. This ensures a law student can stay active, grow their support network, and develop meaningful relationships with others.
- Do Not Hesitate To Seek Help
Even if you are remotely concerned about how you have been feeling lately, reach out to a professional. Confiding in your friends or family is always good but at the end of the day, one must remember that they are not qualified to provide any real help. A professional will help you understand what you are going through and exactly how you can remedy that to the benefit of your mental health.
Law students are notorious for living unbalanced lives and many take great pride that law school consumes such a great deal of their time. Especially in the first year, this attitude is not viewed as the beginning stages of burn out but simply as the signs of a hard worker. Law school is known for its late nights, high doses of caffeine, ignoring one’s family, and embracing seclusion and isolation for the month prior to exams.
Many students aim at living a balanced life, but the reality is that few law students are able to develop a plan to pull it off. This is why, focusing on mental health has to be an integral focus for a law student throughout their academic journey.
YLCC would like to thank Riya Singh for her valuable insights in this article.
