PierFerd Marks Mental Health Awareness Month in 2024

Pierson Ferdinand marks Mental Health Awareness Month in 2024 in a special way—both as an acknowledgement and in light of the launch with our customized Wellbeing Program.

Mental illness affects more than 50 million Americans, about one in five humans each year. Often, we brush aside our mental health in favor of our to-do lists and physical health. The unique stressors of practicing law create specific challenges and imbalances. In 2023, about 71% of nearly 3,000 lawyers surveyed reported having anxiety, which represents a 5% increase from 2022, according to the American Lawyer. About 38% said they dealt with depression, an increase of 35% from last year. Additionally, the number of lawyers who struggled with another mental health issue more than doubled, up to about 31% this year from nearly 15% last year.

Mental wellbeing is usually an afterthought, crystallized by sleeplessness and the staggering increases in depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and even suicidal ideation. Adding complexity, as lawyers, we are known for our mental acuity, our steadfastness, and judgment, and so disclosure of any mental health concerns becomes something to hide. The ripple effects from these mental health challenges and the unique nature of our industry impact our families, friends, and communities.

At PierFerd, we do more than recognize these factors—we launched a Wellbeing Program to provide our teams with the inspiration, education, and resources to help. The path to wellbeing happens by design, not default. We recognize that every individual’s journey is unique and unfolds at its own pace.

We talk about mental health because authentic communication destigmatizes the idea of mental health as a “problem,” reframes it as a workplace challenge, and presents an opportunity for creative and even innovative ways for people to work together.