The effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction and mindfulness on solicitors’ well-being
Soon, Lucinda and Walsh, James and McDowall, Almuth and Teoh, Kevin (2021) The effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction and mindfulness on solicitors’ well-being. International Journal of the Legal Profession , ISSN 0969-5958.
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Abstract
Rising reports of poor mental health and well-being in lawyers across multiple jurisdictions, notably the United States of America, Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK), have led to a growing international focus on this topic. Yet there remains a paucity of empirical data on the well-being of solicitors practising in England and Wales. Framed by self-determination theory (SDT), we undertook a cross-sectional survey of 340 trainee and qualified solicitors in England and Wales to (1) benchmark the psychological well-being of solicitors against other UK occupational groups and adult population norms; and (2) test relationships between mindfulness, satisfaction of basic psychological needs (perceived autonomy, relatedness, and competence at work) and psychological well-being. The SDT components positively and significantly related to well-being. Mindfulness partially mediated the pathway between basic psychological needs satisfaction and well-being, suggesting that satisfaction of these needs may in themselves facilitate higher mindfulness, thereby contributing to greater levels of well-being. We conceive that autonomy, relatedness, and competence at work provide the psychological space necessary for mindfulness to be cultivated, within which well-being can thrive. These findings support the importance of a systemic approach to solicitors’ well-being to safeguard basic psychological needs in the workplace.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Additional Information: | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis, available online at the link above. |
School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences |
Depositing User: | Kevin Teoh |
Date Deposited: | 04 Mar 2022 06:29 |
Last Modified: | 07 Aug 2023 16:12 |
URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/47032 |
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