20 Years of EAP Cost-Benefit Research - Part 1 of 3: Review of Classic 1990 McDonnell Douglas Study

Abstract

It has been two decades since the seminal study of the financial costs and benefits of the employee assistance program at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. This study is credited with significantly advancing the business case for the field of employee assistance. Although it is considered a classic research work in the field, the study was not published in a scientific journal and therefore did not undergo a critical peer review. In this article, I will revisit the methodology and major findings of the McDonnell Douglas study and raise some critical questions about it.