Employee Assistance Programs in Higher Education

A survey was conducted of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) in colleges and universities throughout the United States (N-115). Results demonstrated that these EAPs were similar to those in private industry on several dimensions, including referral source, types of problems handled by the EAP, and overall penetration rate. However, the perceived success of EAPs in higher education was associated with the frequency of peer-referrals, rather than self-referrals. Faculty use of the EAP was also associated with program effectiveness, although faculty used the EAP proportionally less than other staff or administrators. Other factors examined in the study include union involvement in the EAP, in-house counseling vs. outside referral, and mandatory EAP usage. The results are discussed in terms of methodological issues associated with survey research as well as directions for future research on EAPs in higher education.