psychic burnout emotional trauma and law practiceI apologize in advance for starting a Monday this way, but here is a question worth asking: Why are lawyers killing themselves?

That was the provocative query CNN set for itself in a January 20 article. In it, reporters Rosa Flores and Rose Marie Arce examined the troubling topic and what experts can tell us about it. They write:

“One by one, state by state, bar associations say the tally is rising: Lawyers are killing themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided CNN with the latest available data on suicide deaths by profession. Lawyers ranked fourth when the proportion of suicides in that profession is compared to suicides in all other occupations in the study population (adjusted for age).They come right behind dentists, pharmacists and physicians.”

Read the entire article here; it’s worth your time.

Recently, one of our authors examined a related question. In our November issue, Dr. Martin Blinder discussed depression and emotional burnout. He also explained why lawyers may be more prone to both conditions—or worse.

The legal profession has always been a challenging one. But has it grown to be even more stressful, perhaps exacerbated by a bad economy?

Send me your thoughts at arizona.attorney@azbar.org.