b"BACK TO NAVIGATIONLegal Sector SituationThe legal profession is famed for a culture of stoicism in the face of the high standards, time pressure and long workdays required to meet the high expectations of employers and clients. Sustaining this culture has led to many lawyers succumbing to illness when their tolerance to stress is exhausted. Law is consistently listed among the two occupations that have the highest prevalence of mental health issues.In Australia, the deeper understanding about mental health in the legal profession really kicked off with an authoritative report on depression in the legal sector called Courting the Blues: Attitudes towards depression in Australian law students and legal practitioners, conducted by Sydney Universitys Brain and Mind Institute in conjunction with the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation.Changes to the workplace brought on by COVID-19 have added to stress levels for law firm employees and in turn increased the risks of anxiety, depression and burnout.Working from home can be beneficial in particular circumstances but it does expose a number of pre-existing issues that are difficult to manage in a pandemic environmentdealing with uncertainty- uncertainty as one of the two biggest challenges during this time. COVID-19 has bred myriad uncertainties in peoples lives, none more common than job insecurity or the practicalities of workload.maintaining boundaries - technology provides flexibility which helps workers to balance professional and personal responsibilities. However, it also enables work to intrude into the peoples personal lives and reduce the time for recuperation.Lost social connection and support - the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that loneliness was the most common stressor during COVID-19. Professional connection and social identity as a part of a team lays the important groundwork for peer supportLegal Sector ResponseWhile no one anticipated the disruption experienced in the last two years, many law firms were at least partially prepared to support their employees resilience and ongoing psychological wellbeing though their improved management of mental health issues. Existing programs in law firms have been built over many years through the dedication of many champions within the profession and the establishment of programs such as Minds Count and Resilience in Law. These programs and initiatives have been developed to address the levels and types of work-related stress that pre-dated COVID. COVID has then resulted in additional or amplified pressures caused by sudden and dramatic changes to working arrangements and peoples personal lives, such as managing isolation, family demands, financial worries, relationship problems, health issues or safety and security. The sudden and continuing period of working from home has also made it more difficult for firms to both monitor the mental health of their employees and partners and provide support.INITIATIVES SURVEYResilience@Law memberBlack Dog programsMental Health Awareness WeekSignatory to Minds Count Foundation'sTJMF GuidelinesSalary continuanceMindfulness Resilience and StressManagement TrainingMental health \x1frst aid training andinternal supportCon\x1fdential professional psychologicalsupport/EAPR U OK? programs0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Perecentage of firmsAverage number of initiatives per firm: 6 Yes 71% No 18% Not Reported 6%Currently in Development 6%39"