The Effects of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Mindfulness on Solicitors’ Well-being

Article


Soon, L., Walsh, J. J., McDowall, A. and Teoh, K. R. H. 2022. The Effects of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Mindfulness on Solicitors’ Well-being. International Journal of the Legal Profession. 29 (2), pp. 143-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695958.2021.2020657
AuthorsSoon, L., Walsh, J. J., McDowall, A. and Teoh, K. R. H.
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.

JournalInternational Journal of the Legal Profession
Journal citation29 (2), pp. 143-158
ISSN0969-5958
Year2022
PublisherTaylor & Francis (Routledge)
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Anyone
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/09695958.2021.2020657
Publication dates
Online26 Dec 2021
Publication process dates
Accepted16 Dec 2021
Deposited14 Mar 2022
Copyright holder© 2021 Taylor & Francis
Additional information

This is an Accepted Manuscript version of the following article, accepted for publication in International Journal of the Legal Profession. Lucinda Soon, James J. Walsh, Almuth McDowall & Kevin R.H. Teoh (2022) The effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction and mindfulness on solicitors’ well-being, International Journal of the Legal Profession, 29 (2), pp. 143-158, DOI: 10.1080/09695958.2021.2020657. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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