The effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction and mindfulness on solicitors’ well-being

Abstract

Rising reports of poor mental health and well-being in lawyers across multiple jurisdictions, notably the United States of America, Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK), have led to a growing international focus on this topic. Yet there remains a paucity of empirical data on the well-being of solicitors practising in England and Wales. Framed by self-determination theory (SDT), we undertook a cross-sectional survey of 340 trainee and qualified solicitors in England and Wales to (1) benchmark the psychological wellbeing of solicitors against other UK occupational groups and adult population norms; and (2) test relationships between mindfulness, satisfaction of basic psychological needs (perceived autonomy, relatedness, and competence at work) and psychological wellbeing. The SDT components positively and significantly related to well-being.Mindfulness partially mediated the pathway between basic psychological needs satisfaction and well-being, suggesting that satisfaction of these needs may in themselves facilitate higher mindfulness, thereby contributing to greater levels of well-being. We conceive that autonomy, relatedness, and competence at work provide the psychological space necessary for mindfulness to be cultivated, within which well-being can thrive.These findings support the importance of a systemic approach to solicitors' well-being to safeguard basic psychological needs in the workplace. qualification experience), 93.5% reported stress in their role in the month before completing the survey, with 24.8% of respondents experiencing severe to extreme levels of stress. A recent survey of 1,713 legal professionals in the United Kingdom (UK), Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland also reported considerable risks of burnout among participants, particularly relating to exhaustion (LawCare, 2021).Reports of poor psychological well-being in lawyers have also emerged from the United States of America (USA) and Australia. A cross-sectional survey of 12,825 attorneys in the USA measured incidence rates of alcohol use, drug use, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. The survey established a high prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse in the surveyed participants with significant levels of depression, anxiety, and stress reported (Krill et al., 2016). The Annual Professions Survey conducted in Australia in 2006 which surveyed 7,551 professionals across accounting, engineering, management consulting, law, patent attorneys, actuarial, IT services, architectural, insurance underwriting, and insurance brokering, found that legal professionals presented with higher rates of moderate and severe levels of depressive symptoms compared to the other professional groups surveyed and to the general Australian population (Beaton Consulting, 2007). Lawyers were also more likely to resort to negative coping methods, including consumption of alcohol and other drugs, to reduce or manage feelings of dejection and depression when compared with the other professional groups. Another study surveyed a cross-section of 92...