Workplace Stress, Organizational Factors and EAP Utilization

Abstract

This study examined relationships between workplace stress, organizational factors, and use of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counseling services delivered by network providers in a large, privately insured population. Claims data were linked to measures of workplace stress, focus on wellness/prevention, EAP promotion, and EAP activities for health care plan enrollees from 26 employers. The association of external environment and work organization variables with use of EAP counseling services was examined. Higher levels of EAP promotion and worksite activities were associated with greater likelihood of service use. Greater focus on wellness/prevention and unusual and significant stress were associated with lower likelihood of service use. Results provide stakeholders with insights on approaches to increasing utilization of EAP services.

KEYWORDS:

• Employee Assistance Programs
• organizational factors
• utilization
• workplace stress

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant # P-50-DA-010233 through the Brandeis-Harvard Center for Managed Care and Drug Abuse Treatment. The authors thank Nancy Pun and Kikumi Usui at MHN for analytic file preparation.

Notes

∗p < .01

∗∗p < .05.

^a After controlling for gender, age, enrollee status, region, industry sector and product type.

∗p < .01

∗∗p < .05.