David Jaffe releases survey on law student wellness
鈥溾 was published in the University of Louisville Law Review. Co-authored by Jerry Organ at the University of St. Thomas and Katherine Bender at Bridgewater State University and the David Nee Foundation, it is a continuation of a 2014 study conducted by the same researchers.
The research team was interested to see what changed over the past seven years and surveyed students from 39 law schools across the country, Jaffe said. Among the findings:
- Almost double the number of students surveyed in 2021 reported a diagnosis of depression or anxiety compared to students surveyed in 2014.
- Fewer students engage in binge-drinking and the use of prescription drugs without a prescription compared to survey respondents in 2014.
- An 鈥渙verwhelming鈥 number of students have experienced trauma, with one in five screening positive for PTSD.
- There was an increase in students who reported needing help for an emotional or mental health problem during the past year, and a 鈥渟ignificant鈥 increase in the number of students who reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year and in their lifetime.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e not addressing this in law schools, we鈥檙e just passing the buck onto the legal profession,鈥 Jaffe said. 鈥淲hen these issues present themselves, some would say it鈥檚 our obligation as educators to find some way to do it. We need to offer proactive support so that law students can go on to be productive and supportive to their clients.鈥