EAPs help employees navigate a variety of life crises–mental health issues, substance abuse, financial challenges, and other stressors–and now EAPs can also offer Specialist Spiritual Care, as an option for those who prefer a spiritual approach, by partnering with The Company Chaplain.
“There’s no getting around the numbers… :
- According to Mental Health America’s 2022 data, some 50 million U.S. adults – or nearly a fifth of Americans age 18 and over – have a severe mental health issue.
- A CreditWise survey found that 73% of Americans rank their finances as life’s No. 1 stressor, yet financial literacy among U.S. adults has fallen 19% over the past decade.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that more than 20 million Americans have a current substance abuse disorder.
- Relationship problems, feeling overwhelmed at work, or struggling with time management can also spike stress and cause chaos in our lives.
Enter employee assistance programs, or EAPs. While people sometimes associate EAPs exclusively with behavioral health issues, they are more than that.
“As we all know in today’s world, many factors go into our having good mental health,” said Linda Burdge, who oversees employee benefits for Capital Blue Cross. “It is not only diagnosed health issues, be they physical or mental health, but also our relationships, our finances and even how we treat ourselves, such as through healthy eating. Our EAP vendor provides insight into all these issues and more.” And the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that “EAPs can identify and address a wide range of health, financial, and social issues.“In other words, EAPs can help employees calm some of life’s chaos.
Proven results
A National Behavioral Consortium study found 94% of EAP users reported satisfaction with EAP service, 86% showed clinical improvement after EAP assistance, work productivity increased 86%, and absenteeism declined 64%. A study published by the National Institutes for Health echoed the findings, reporting that EAP use reduced employees’ psychological distress and absenteeism, and increased their life satisfaction, workplace productivity, and engagement. That comes as no surprise to Heather Windemaker, Capital Blue Cross manager of leave administration.”