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VOL. 6, ISSUE 4 (2024)
Medicolegal perspectives: Navigating mental and physical health self-care practices and legal competency for lawyers
Authors
Kimberly Morton Cuthrell
Abstract
Legal professionals have a range of understudied psychological
stressors that can compromise self-care and competency. Similar to medical
professionals, legal professionals are not excluded from risk factors
associated with mental, physical, and emotional impairments. Many professionals
succumb to suicidal ideation, nonsuicidal self-injury, trauma, eating
disorders, alcohol and substance use, and gambling. In the pursuit of providing
justice and working long hours with sleep deprivation, many legal professionals
minimize self-care and self-awareness necessities. Self-awareness of imbalances
requires recognizing internal and external warning signs, symptoms, and
triggers of psychological strains that deteriorate mental well-being. Feelings
of shame and embarrassment, including stigma and isolation, discourage some
professionals from seeking help, along with concerns of repercussions on legal
licenses and professional image. Failure to obtain needed treatment underscores
the consequences of psychological effects and the exacerbation of mental and
physical conditions. Though lawyer assistance programs offer resources to
safeguard the legal profession, self-care and wellness practices should be of
utmost importance to help reduce vulnerability and susceptibility to ailments.
This article describes self-care, self-management, and psychological resilience
practices that lawyers can undertake to foster mental, physical, and emotional
well-being while striving to achieve a quality of life with competency,
lawyering processes, and trauma-informed legal strategies to balance the
complex demands of the legal profession.
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Pages:40-53
How to cite this article:
Kimberly Morton Cuthrell "Medicolegal perspectives: Navigating mental and physical health self-care practices and legal competency for lawyers". International Journal of Law, Policy and Social Review, Vol 6, Issue 4, 2024, Pages 40-53
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