British Columbia legal organizations partner to hold virtual forum this Mental Health Week
This Mental Health Week, which runs from May 5–11, the Law Society of British Columbia and the Law Society of Saskatchewan expressed their support for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s campaign for “Unmasking Mental Health.”
According to the law societies, this week’s theme focuses on empathy and connection and encourages Canadians to look beneath the surface and see a person as a whole.
Mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and stress can impact people profoundly but sometimes invisibly and can affect their daily routines, lead to relationship difficulties, and restrict professional growth, the BC law society’s news release said.
The issue of mental health and the need to address the stigma associated with mental health challenges are topics significant to the legal profession, the Saskatchewan law society’s news release added.
The BC law society emphasized that lawyers may face mental health challenges due to the high standards that they need to meet and the intense pressure they face, and may feel the need to conceal their problems to avoid others’ judgment.
The BC law society shared that half of Canadians will encounter mental health challenges by the time they are 40 years old. The Canadian Mental Health Organization said that 19–26 percent of British Columbians experience mental health issues every year.
The Saskatchewan law society noted that the province’s report from the second phase of the “Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Practice of Law in Canada” project revealed that nearly 40 percent of Saskatchewan’s legal professionals responding to the survey said they refrained from seeking help for mental health issues though they felt they needed to do so.
The BC law society and the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC partnered to conduct a virtual Mental Health Forum on Wednesday. The forum aimed to offer a space to discuss mental health in the legal profession and suggest practical strategies.
In its news release, the BC law society said it seeks to help lawyers prioritize their mental well-being, deepen their relationships, and be more honest, vulnerable, understanding, and courageous. To these ends, the BC law society offers lawyers in the province the following for free:
In its news release, the Saskatchewan law society urged lawyers to set aside time this week to reflect and help encourage a culture of wellness and compassion within the profession.
The Saskatchewan law society shared that it offers resources for mental health, including its member assistance program, its mentorship program, and seminars and resources in its continuing professional development library.
The Saskatchewan law society noted that those interested can register for free for seminars offered by the Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association as a part of a series on well-being in the legal profession:
