title: Do law students stand apart from other university students in their quest for mental health: A comparative study on wellbeing and associated behaviours in law and psychology students.
abstract: We are not producing a product, but a well-balanced person.(1) It is well-documented that law students experience higher levels of psychological distress than members of the general population and university students in other professional disciplines. In 2014, we published our findings on an empirical study identifying the correlations between law student wellbeing and student behaviour both at and away from law school. The results of the study informed the development of an evidence-based 'behavioural toolkit' to assist law students and law schools in making informed choices and decisions that promote and even improve the mental health of students. The study we undertook was not, however, limited to law students. It extended to collecting quantitative data on psychological distress and associated behaviours in psychology students. This article reports on the comparative findings of the study and provides a comparative basis for understanding the contextual influences on the wellbeing of law students.
authors: Faculty of Law, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, CRAWLEY, WA, 6009, Australia. Electronic address: natalie.skead@uwa.edu.au.
authors: Natalie K
authors: NK
authors: Skead
authors: School of Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, JOONDALUP, WA 6027, Australia. Electronic address: shane.rogers@ecu.edu.au.
authors: Shane L
authors: SL
authors: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001519:Behavior; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D033241:Lawyers; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011584:Psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Law school; Law students; Legal education; Mental health; Psychology students; Wellbeing