Employee Assistance Programs in Australia: Evaluating Success

Compton, Robert-Leigh; McManus, John

doi:10.1080/15555240.2015.998971

Cited by 27 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The most commonly used strategy was to turn to a relative or friend for advice (82%), whereas only 28% of participants indicated that they sought professional help when exposed to negative acts. The majority of health care organizations offer some form of professional counseling or Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) as an early intervention strategy to assist staff to resolve professional, personal, health, or work‐related issues (Compton & McManus, 2015; NSW Health, 2016). The utilization of these services within Australia, however, remains low at 0 to 4%, reportedly due to a lack of both transparency in the process and availability of the EAP service (Compton & McManus, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of health care organizations offer some form of professional counseling or Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) as an early intervention strategy to assist staff to resolve professional, personal, health, or work‐related issues (Compton & McManus, 2015; NSW Health, 2016). The utilization of these services within Australia, however, remains low at 0 to 4%, reportedly due to a lack of both transparency in the process and availability of the EAP service (Compton & McManus, 2015). The use of EAP service by the study participants is beyond the scope of this study but may warrant further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Negative workplace behavior and coping strategies among nurses: A cross‐sectional study

Hawkins

Jeong

Smith

2020

Nursing & Health Sciences

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Negative workplace behavior affecting nurses is an internationally recognized problem. This study examines the types and extent of negative workplace behavior experienced by nurses in non-metropolitan, regional acute care settings and their ways of coping when subject to that behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 74 nurse participants in four regional hospitals in Australia. The structured questionnaire consisted of four parts: demographic questions, the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, questions on exposure to bullying and/or incivility and policy awareness and use of pathways, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Overall, 34% of participants were exposed to bullying and 49% to incivility over the previous month. The most common type of negative workplace behavior reported was "workrelated bullying," which included exposure to excessive workloads, unrealistic deadlines, and information being withheld. Nurses reported the use of a variety of coping mechanisms, including problem-focused coping strategies and seeking social support.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negative workplace behavior and coping strategies among nurses: A cross‐sectional study

Hawkins

Jeong

Smith

2020

Nursing & Health Sciences

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“…Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), an employer-funded service for employees and their families, also deliver mental health and suicide prevention training in the workplace. EAPs provide a range counselling and support services that are designed to assist individuals in the work context, promote individual health, and diminish the chances of personal or work problems negatively impacting the work environment [ 18 ]. They are considered an important part of an organisation’s occupational health and safety and wellness initiatives [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…EAPs provide a range counselling and support services that are designed to assist individuals in the work context, promote individual health, and diminish the chances of personal or work problems negatively impacting the work environment [ 18 ]. They are considered an important part of an organisation’s occupational health and safety and wellness initiatives [ 18 ]. EAPs are available to employees in approximately 80% of Australia’s top 500 companies and many other small to medium organisations [ 19 ] and over 75% of US public sector and 40% of private sector organisations [ 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring men’s use of mental health support offered by an Australian Employee Assistance Program (EAP): perspectives from a focus-group study with males working in blue- and white-collar industries

Matthews

Gerald²,

Jessup

2021

Int J Ment Health Syst

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Background Men continue to be overrepresented in the Australian suicide statistics despite wide scale public health initiatives to improve men’s mental health literacy and to increase their help-seeking behaviour. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) deliver free and confidential mental health support; however, their services are underutilised by men. In the absence of contemporary literature that explores end-user experiences of EAPs, we asked men from blue- and white-collar employment settings about the barriers and enablers to using EAP services and explored differences between employment settings. Methods Forty-four men participated in this qualitative study: 32 from one white-collar employer and 12 from one blue-collar employer. Two qualified mental health professionals facilitated five first-round and three second-round focus groups and one interview with white-collar workers, and two focus groups and three interviews with blue-collar workers. Data were thematically analysed using a framework approach. Results Four of the six main themes were barriers: no need for EAP—alternative supports; uncertainty of EAP services; scepticism and distrust of EAP; and societal and workplace cultures. Elements of enduring barriers to EAP use were contained within sub-themes. These included lack of knowledge about EAPs, issues of trustworthiness and confidentiality, and fear of stigma and career jeopardy. Enablers comprised the need for attractive, reliable messaging and proactive connections and service delivery. Differences within sub-themes for white-collar and blue-collar groups reflected the corporate nature of work and workplace culture for white-collar participants, and workers’ communication and practical problem resolution preferences for blue-collar workers. Conclusion Some elements identified in the barriers to EAP use are more entrenched than were previously estimated and these need to be a priority for action to increase confidence in EAP services by end-users. EAPs that have a visible and proactive presence in the workplace, that tailor their marketing and service delivery to different workgroups, that provide a competitive advantage to its service users, and more confidently conveys independence from its client organisations may help to increase men’s interest in accessing EAP support services. Further initiatives that reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and help-seeking both in society and the workplace are needed.

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“…Studies have shown that EAPs significantly lower substance use, reduced anxiety, depression, and stress levels, and enhance work productivity when compared to workers in companies where such a program does not exist. 20 Research on effectiveness of workplace drug policies indicates that while strict zero-tolerance policies are not very profitable, policies that take the employees into confidence while being drafted, and outline clear unambiguous measures to reduce social and physical accessibility to illicit drugs are most effective. 32 Screening and brief intervention involves screening for problematic use of psychoactive drugs, and motivational interviewing techniques and referral to treatment services are used for managing moderate and severe risk of substance abuse, respectively.…”

Section: Workplace-based Preventive Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary and secondary prevention strategies against illicit drug use among adults aged 18–25: a narrative review

Singh

Balhara

Gupta

et al. 2019

Australas Psychiatry

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Objectives: We reviewed the literature for preventive programs against illicit drug use that specifically target adults aged 18–25 (i.e. emerging adults). Methods: Narrative review of preventive programs that have a high strength of recommendation according to the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) grading system. Results: Prevention programs that met the criteria are school and college based, family-based, community based, peer-led, workplace-based, and technology-based interventions. They target the known modifiable risk factors associated with illicit drug use among adolescents and young adults. Conclusion: The preventive programs we reviewed are utilizing evidence-based strategies for the prevention of illicit drug use. Further research is needed to formulate new and effective preventive strategies for the reduction of illicit drug use by emerging adults.

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Employee Assistance Programs in Australia: Evaluating Success

Cited by 27 publications

References 17 publications

Negative workplace behavior and coping strategies among nurses: A cross‐sectional study

Negative workplace behavior and coping strategies among nurses: A cross‐sectional study

Exploring men’s use of mental health support offered by an Australian Employee Assistance Program (EAP): perspectives from a focus-group study with males working in blue- and white-collar industries

Primary and secondary prevention strategies against illicit drug use among adults aged 18–25: a narrative review

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