Substance Abuse & Employee Assistance Programs (Abstract)

Stephen Heidel, M.D.

from Current Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 4th edition,
Joseph LaDou, ed, McGraw-Hill 2007

Substance abuse is a major problem throughout the United States, including the workplace. In 2002, there were 19.8 million adults in the United States with a substance abuse problem. Of these, 15.3 million were employed. Substance abuse causes absenteeism, safety problems, poor quality workmanship, friction with coworkers, and liability to organizations. Substance abuse disorders are usually accompanied by a decline in social and occupational functioning, making the workplace a good place to observe this decline in an individual’s functioning and to direct him or her to appropriate treatment. The structure of the workplace allows for this because there are clearly defined expectations on attendance, work performance, and behavior. Employee assistance programs often partner with psychiatrists to identify, diagnose and effectively treat substance-abusing employees.