President’s Message
COVID and Beyond By Anh Le Kremer
Anh Le Kremer is a former business litigator at Stinson, LLP. She is currently the chief operating officer and general counsel for Nystrom & Associates, a behavioral health organization headquartered in Minnesota.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed all of us. It has redefined how we work and how we live. Though it has brought its share of challenges, one positive trend has emerged from it: increased awareness as a society around the importance of mental health and our overall willingness to discuss it. I work in the healthcare sector—specifically in the behavioral health field. I am passionate about the topic of mental health and well-being and ensuring adequate access to these needed services. We’re facing a shortage of mental health professionals, and the need for mental health services has surged since the start of the pandemic. Anxiety and depression are on the rise. The American Psychological Associ-
these staggering statistics. An ALM Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey in 2021 found that 31.2 percent of their 3,800 respondents feel depressed, 64 percent feel they have anxiety, and 10.1 percent feel they have an alcohol problem. Mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are real, common, and treatable illnesses. However, an illness can’t be treated unless the individual seeks treatment. Lawyers and judges have been trained to appear resolute and unflappable in the face of stress. It starts from the first day of law school with the Socratic Method of teaching and continues throughout one’s legal career, where high-performance is demanded and long work hours are rewarded. But we’re all human,
Prior to the pandemic, mental health was an underdiscussed topic. We didn’t talk about mental health because of the stigma associated with it. Although the stigma has by no means disappeared, we do seem to be more open today to discussing it and educating ourselves on the topic. The pandemic has normalized discussions around mental health and wellness, and it is my hope that this trend continues, particularly regarding the legal field. ation published a survey recently of nearly 1,800 psychologists, 74 percent of whom reported seeing more patients with anxiety disorders than before the pandemic, and 60 percent reported seeing patients with more depressive disorders. Prior to the pandemic, mental health was an underdiscussed topic. We didn’t talk about mental health because of the stigma associated with it. Although the stigma has by no means disappeared, we do seem to be more open today to discussing it and educating ourselves on the topic. The pandemic has normalized discussions around mental health and wellness, and it is my hope that this trend continues, particularly regarding the legal field. Mental illness affects a significant portion of the general population. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 21 percent of adults in the United States experienced mental illness in 2020. The legal profession is not immune to
with very human conditions. We can’t help our clients or serve the public effectively if we’re not taking care of ourselves first. If you are struggling with a mental health issue or know of a colleague, friend, or family member who is struggling, please know that there are resources and please seek treatment options. The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) is a national organization that can connect you to needed resources. You can visit NAMI’s website at www.nami.org or call the HelpLine at (800) 950-6264. In a crisis, you can also text “NAMI” to 741741 for 24/7 free confidential counseling.
January/February 2022 • THE FEDERAL LAWYER • 3
