STRESS AND HEALTH IN 1ST-YEAR LAW STUDENTS - WOMEN FARE WORSE

The social and psychological consequences of being a female law studen t may include greater stress and worse health than that experienced by male students. First-year law students at a major state university we re surveyed about their physical and psychological health prior to, in the middle of, and at the end of the school year. They were also aske d about specific sources of strain (e.g., grades, time pressure) at mi d-year. Relative to men, women reported greater strain due to sexism, lack of free time, and lack of time to spend with one's spouse/partner . Women also displayed more depression and physical symptoms at the en d of the year. Partial correlation analyses controlling for baseline h ealth were used to show associations between mid-year strain and end-o f-year emotional and physical health. Gender-role constraints may be m ore responsible for women's stress than law school per se.