THE IMPAIRED ATTORNEY

Depression is a dangerous disease, and lawyers are more prone to it than members of any other profession. Consider these numbers:

1. A 1990 study at Johns Hopkins University found that of 28 occupations studied, lawyers were the most likely to suffer depression, and were more than 3.6 times more likely than average to do so. A Harrison Barnes, Builders and Destroyers (citing W.W. Eaton, J.C. Anthony, W. Mandel & R. Garrison, Occupations and the Prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder, 32 J. Occupational Med. 1079 (1990).

2. A research study of 801 lawyers in the State of Washington found that 19% suffered from depression. Barnes, supra (citing G.A.H. Benjamin, E.J. Darling & B.D. Sales, The Prevalence of Depression, Alcohol Abuse, and Cocaine Abuse Among United States Lawyers, 13 J. Law & Psychiatry 233 (1990).

3. A quality-of-life survey by the North Carolina Bar Association in 1991 revealed that almost 26% of respondents exhibited symptoms of clinical depression, and almost 12% said they contemplated suicide at least once a month. Michael J. Sweeney, The Devastation of Depression.

I am a member of the Nassau County Bar Association's Lawyer Assistance Committee. Tomorrow I will be attending a seminar entitled "REPRESENTING AND ASSISTING THE IMPAIRED ATTORNEY, Strategies To Minimize Fallout and Maximize Potential for Recovery". Among the issues to be discussed in addition to depression are alcohol and drug abuse, gambling addiction and the NYS Diversion & Monitoring Agreement.