A Global Perspective on Promoting Workplace Mental Health and the Role of Employee Assistance Programs

Abstract

This is a literature review article. It highlights the epidemiological prevalence rate data for mental health and substance disorders from the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and globally. I also describe how the workplace can both hurt and help employees. The growth of employee assistance programs (EAP) globally is noted, including key trends in program use and global evidence documenting the effectiveness of brief counseling on workplace outcomes (particularly for reducing employee presenteeism). Finally, 21 leading organizations are profiled that are active in supporting workplace mental health in different parts of the world and select key resources of interest on their websites.