The integration of employees’ work and private lives has pushed personal problems into the spotlight during COVID-19. Substance abuse is a major issue employers can no longer ignore.
Twenty-one million people suffer from substance abuse disorders in the U.S. and 70% of that population is employed, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Since last March, one-third of workers have admitted to
The abrupt change to a remote work environment not only challenged those with existing issues, but pushed many other people toward
“One of the things that happened overnight is that for people who might have already been susceptible to addictions, psychological stress led them to drinking a lot more or using other substances,” Sherwani says. “The changes in how people work means that what might have been noticed in an office environment may not be picked up.”
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“There is no vaccine for mental health or addiction,” he says. “Addiction is a chronic disease, not a moral failing. Addressing it from a leadership perspective is incredibly important.”
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This proactive approach should extend to benefits too. While telehealth can fill the gaps and provide accessible support, it’s often difficult for employees to navigate the flood of options offered
“The explosion of single-point solutions and tools can be very difficult to navigate and an EAP might not be able to really deliver,” Sherwani says. “If it can’t, where are they then referred to so they don’t fall through those gaps in care?”
Sherwani’s platform, Quit Genius, provides digital cognitive behavioral therapy,
“It's not going to be as easy to support struggling employees, so we've got to work harder and not only add solutions but see how they work with each other,” Sherwani says. “Employers are understanding this and want to do the best they can by their employees.”