Providing employees with access to an employee assistance programme (EAP) can help tackle depression and the associated impairment to workplace productivity, according to a US study of 1,989 employees over 19 months.
Around 80% of the group initially screened positively for depression and there was a strong association between depression and reduced productivity. Three months after the EAP intervention – which involved screening, a brief intervention and follow-up interview for just over 20% of the sample – analyses indicated significant improvements in depression and productivity.
Richmond MK et al (2014). “Associations between substance use, depression and work outcomes: an evaluation study of screening and brief intervention in a large employee assistance program”. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, vol.29, issue 1, pp.1-18.
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