Anxiety Psychoeducation for Law Students: A Pilot Program

Abstract

Many law students experience anxiety, which can impair academic performance and reduce quality of life. The authors developed a brief psychoeducation program designed to help law students cope with anxiety. The program was based on the cognitive behavioral model of anxiety and was offered to first-year students at Stanford and Yale Law School. Class attendance was voluntary and consisted of two one- to two-hour meetings. Student response was measured by anonymous online surveys. Virtually all the students thought the material was worthwhile and should be taught as a part of the curriculum. Students reported using many of the techniques described to reduce anxiety, and many students reported a decline in anxiety. Student comments were almost uniformly positive. The success of this pilot suggests that other faculty may find it worthwhile to adopt a version of the psychoeducation program. Other scholars may wish to refine the cognitive behavioral approach used in this program, or develop and test approaches based on other techniques, such as mindfulness or positive psychology.