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The Workplace and Depression | Employee Assistance Programs

Employee Assistance Programs

Depression and alcohol or substance abuse often co-exist. Therefore it is important that employee assistance programs be developed to deal with both mental disorders (such as depression) and alcohol and substance abuse. For that reason, we will discuss both problems within the context of a comprehensive employee assistance program (EAP).

Costs and Benefits of EAPs

The cost of an EAP will vary widely from company to company. Generally speaking, management will incur a cost of between $20 to $35 per employee. Some of the variables include the size of the company, the comprehensiveness of the EAP, and whether an internal or external program is used. However, the benefits of EAPs have far exceeded the costs in virtually every published study. Many of these studies use return on investment (ROI) statistics for evaluation and comparison purposes. The ROI statistics have all been positive in the companies studied. That means for every dollar of cost there has been more than one dollar of benefit. The ROI results from various studies have ranged widely from $1.50 to $13.00. It should also be noted that mental health programs showed one of the highest ROIs for the companies.

Costs of Depression and Substance Abuse in the Workplace

It is difficult to quantify the costs of depression in the workplace for several reasons. First, depression often co-exists with other conditions such as alcohol or substance abuse. Second, depression is often unrecognized in the workplace. However, the costs regarding alcohol and substance abuse is easier to determine. Below are some of the key statistics:

  • about 7% of full-time workers use illicit drugs and about 7% are heavy drinkers.
  • about 1.2 million full-time workers abuse both illicit drugs and are heavy alcohol users according to a 1999 survey.
  • about 73 percent of all drug users are employed part-time or full-time.
  • alcoholism accounts for 500 million lost workdays each year.
  • casual drinkers account for far more incidents of absenteeism, tardiness and poor quality work than those defined as alcohol dependent.
  • 20% to 40% of general hospital patients are admitted for complications related to alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse.
  • economic costs of substance abuse to society are estimated at over $300 billion per year.

What should a EAP do ?

In general, a comprehensive EAP should provide 1) education, 2) community involvement and 3) improved access to resources. It also requires an understanding and a commitment from management. Management should realize that companies should exhibit a concern for their employees if they wish to build a strong loyalty from their employees.

A comprehensive EAP will also tackle the difficult problem of creating a "Drug-Free Workforce" by developing a program by that name. This comprehensive approach of a "Drug-Free Workforce" should include the following key elements.

  1. Develop a Written Policy - clearly state that alcohol and drug use will not be tolerated.
  2. Employee Assistance Program - should provide counseling or referral programs in a confidential manner.
  3. Employee Awareness Education - an educational and orientation program should strive to change employee attitudes about alcohol and drug use.
  4. Supervisors - train supervisors so they can better recognize and refer employees to the company programs.
  5. Drug and Alcohol Testing - a mandatory testing program may be unpopular and costly but it is effective.
  6. Sanctions - clearly state the consequences for violation of the substance abuse policies.
  7. Appeals Process - clearly state the rights employees have to appeal any penalty or sanction.
  8. Evaluation - management should continually monitor the success and cost effectiveness of the program.

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