2008 Volume 6

According to The George Washington University Medical Center's Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems (ESAP), one in five men (and one in 10 women) seen by primary care physicians drink at levels that put them at risk for alcohol-related problems. Studies show that brief interventions are effective in reducing alcohol use among non-dependent patients in a wide range of medical settings.

Brief intervention in primary care and other settings typically consists of an initial counseling session lasting five to 20 minutes and one or more follow-up sessions. Studies show that a few sessions can persuade people who are less dependent to cut down on their drinking and, in some cases, stop drinking altogether. While not designed to treat alcoholism, brief intervention can motivate alcoholics to seek out and participate in more intensive and long-term treatment options.

Ensuring Solutions claims that more than 60% of people taking advantage of counseling in an EAP did not need further treatment to address their problem drinking.

According to ESAP, for every 1,000 members, the typical health plan can identify 80 who have an alcohol problem. But when screening methods are used to identify even as few as 20% of employees and dependents who are problem drinkers, a business can reduce its benefit costs.

Source: AIS Health

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Worker Stress Level Increasing

Nearly half of U.S. workers say their stress level has increased over the past five years, according to an American Psychological Association (APA) survey.

It’s contributing to lost productivity at work, health problems and poor relationships, the survey says. Money and work are still the leading causes of stress for three-fourths of Americans, up from 59 percent in 2006, but the housing crisis is a new trigger. Concerns over rent and mortgages were causes of stress for 51 percent of Americans in 2007, the APA found.

And about one-third of those surveyed are stressing out over their difficulty in managing work and family responsibilities. The fact that their jobs interfere with family or personal time is a significant cause of stress for 35 percent of workers, the APA found in the English and Spanish online survey conducted Aug. 30 to Sept. 11, 2007, with more than 1,800 workers.

A smaller number—8 percent—linked stress to divorce or separation, and 25 percent said stress created alienation between them and a friend or family member.

“Stress in America continues to escalate and is affecting every aspect of people’s lives—from work to personal relationships to sleep patterns and eating habits, as well as their health,” said psychologist Russ Newman in a press release.

“We know that stress is a fact of life and some stress can have a positive impact; however, the high stress levels that many Americans report experiencing can have long-term health consequences, ranging from fatigue to obesity and heart disease,” said Newman, the APA’s executive director for professional practice.

Scientists have a difficult time defining stress, but the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says job stress is the harmful physical and emotional responses that come about when the job requirements don’t match the worker’s capabilities, resources or needs.

It should not, NIOSH says on its web site, be confused with “challenge,” which it calls “an important ingredient for healthy and productive work.”

Stress is believed to be linked to workplace injury and psychological issues such as depression and burnout, and it is thought to be linked to cardiovascular disease and an increased risk in developing disorders to the back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders, NIOSH says, citing the Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health. 

Source: American Psychological Association 

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