Most EAP users recover after counselling

Nearly three-quarters (70%) of respondents who have used an employee assistance programme (EAP) have recovered or improved following the counselling, according to research by the UK Employee Assistance Professionals Association (UK EAPA).

Its research, Benchmarking key service quality indicators in UK employee assistance programme counselling, which was undertaken in partnership with Core IMS, reviewed the outcome of more than 28,000 EAP counselling interventions.

The research also found:

  • 92% of EAP users were accepted for treatment in an average of nine days.
  • 80% of EAP users were estimated to have completed their counselling intervention.
  • 88% of EAP users attended five sessions or fewer, while 96% attended six sessions or fewer.

David Smith, chair of the UK EAPA, said: “The findings demonstrate that EAPs are getting employees back to work quickly and are therefore reducing the detrimental impact of mental health and employee psychological distress on the workplace.

“EAP provision has trebled in the last decade and are an increasingly popular strategic tool for employers that want to invest in the health and wellbeing of employees and recognise the importance of a healthy workforce in order to manage performance and drive productivity.”