3.4
Anxiety Symptoms

The Study used the following definition for anxiety:

A disorder characterized by an excessive and uncontrollable feeling of worry and fear about some subjects.

Map of Canada depicting the proportion of legal professionals with anxiety symptoms of concern in Canadian provincesThe Study’s survey was designed to gather information on the rate of anxiety symptoms experienced in the legal profession, rather than the rate of an official diagnosis of anxiety by a trained health care professional. However, the Study noted that it is possible to consider that someone has a mental illness when moderate to severe anxiety symptoms are present.

The Study showed 32% of Alberta survey respondents indicated they have experienced moderate to severe anxiety symptoms at least once since the beginning of their career, similar to 36% of national survey respondents. 

National survey respondent groups with the highest proportion of anxiety symptoms include those who:

  • have less than 15 years of career experience
  • are 35 years of age and under
  • are female
  • work in a private practice setting

Last modified: Friday, 26 September 2025, 12:18 PM