Emotional exhaustion, substance use and psychological distress among Master of Laws [LL.M.] students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35295/sz.iisl.2928

Keywords:

Emotional exhaustion (burnout), substance use, psychological distress, Master of Laws (LL.M.) students, therapeutic jurisprudence

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between emotional exhaustion, substance use and psychological distress among Master of Laws [LL.M.] Students. More specifically, the study analyses the predictive power of emotional exhaustion on affective symptoms, as well as the relationship between burnout syndrome, substance use (alcohol and drugs) and emotional distress, as assessed using indicators of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The results show that LL.M Students constitute a group that is particularly vulnerable to emotional exhaustion and psychological distress. In contrast, problematic substance use was low and made only a limited contribution to explaining psychological distress. These results are consistent with the Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ) approach, highlighting that psychological well-being should not be solely a concern for professional practice, but also an explicit objective of university legal education.

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Author Biographies

Sergio Guntín Mareque, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Francisca Fariña Rivera, Universidad de Vigo

Dolores Seijo Martínez, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

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Published

10/29/2026

How to Cite

Bueno Ochoa, L. (2026) “Emotional exhaustion, substance use and psychological distress among Master of Laws [LL.M.] students”, Sortuz: Oñati Journal of Emergent Socio-Legal Studies, 16(2), pp. 664–687. doi: 10.35295/sz.iisl.2928.

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