Employees with access to an EAP are more likely to seek treatment with a lower level of distress than employees covered by a managed care service and no EAP, she said. Also, EAPs can monitor patient relapse. Data from EAP records between 1984 and 1988 show that approximately 5 percent of employees who worked in an organization with an EAP used it over a 12-month period. About one-fourth of those employees had minor problems that were resolved quickly, without an external referral. Looking at EAP use cumulatively, approximately 25 percent of an organization receives EAP services over a five-year period, and 7.5 percent of the employees receive alcohol and drug abuse services.
Prevention is key to the cost effectiveness of an employee assistance program.
Because one of the most costly experiences for individuals, families and communities is job loss, EAPs are designed as human resource conservation programs. They curb unemployment, which benefits the individual and his or her family, and help eliminate costly turnover for the employer. EAPs are also preventive in that they educate employers and employees about mental health and substance abuse issues.