The litigant-patient: mental health consequences of civil litigation

Civil litigation often has profound psychological consequences for plaintiffs and defendants alike. For those individuals who are involved in ongoing psychotherapy, or those who enter psychotherapy during litigation, the stress of litigation often adds to whatever issues produced the lawsuit. This article reviews the effects of that stress, the mechanisms through which it arises, and its manifestations in psychotherapy and offers suggestions to increase psychotherapist awareness of the influence of litigation stress on treatment.