WORKLOAD, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG LAWYERS

Abstract

The legal profession is known for its high-pressure environment, where lawyers frequently managing excessive workloads, strict deadlines and emotionally demanding cases. These conditions often lead to psychological distress, including stress, anxiety and burnout. While International studies have acknowledged the link between workload stress and mental health outcomes, limited research exist on how workload-induced psychological distress affect the social relationship of lawyers within the Pakistan legal context. The study addresses the gap in existing literature by exploring the inter relationship among workload psychological distress and social relationship among lawyers in Pakistan. This quantitative study was conducted on a sample of N= 245 lawyers from different courts of Lahore. A positive relationship between the workload and psychological distress was found. The regression analysis shows that workload can increase the psychological distress. The mediating analysis shows, high workload is linked with high level of psychological distress, while strong relationship significantly reduces the negative effect. The finding also suggest that gender and job categories plays an important role in how lawyers experience psychological distress and social support. The findings of the study can contribute to the development of strategies and interventions for reducing work-related stress and strengthening social supports system for lawyers and give awareness about mental health in legal system of Pakistan.