HISTORY OF EAP

The EAP was developed in the 1940s in the United States, when World War II had a profound effect on the U.S. economy. Employees left for the army, but they returned from the war traumatized and often sought solace in alcohol. At the same time, the medical profession began to view addiction as a treatable disease. Initially, employees themselves identified co-workers with alcohol dependence problems and motivated them to engage in treatment provided by the employer. Eventually, this task was taken over by social workers and psychologists, who also helped employees solve other mental health problems. At the same time, laws and guidelines were passed requiring work organizations to establish addiction treatment programs.

In the 1970s, when humanistic psychology (with the most prominent representatives such as Rogers, Maslow, Berne, etc.) at the forefront, emphasizing the importance of personal development, changed the way EAP assistance was accessed, namely employees were able to seek help on their own, even if they had personal problems that they wanted to solve with the help of a psychologist. In order to use the EAP, it was no longer necessary for someone to recognize signs of problems in an individual and refer him for help. EAPs were internal until then, which means that they were performed by employees of the company. During this time, external EAP contractors began to emerge. Often, organizations had both internal and external EAPs to be able to reap the benefits of both models.

In the 1980s, EAP began to spread around the world. The first EAPs outside the US appeared in Japan and the UK. Also, providers of i.e., Work/Life service emerged. These were separated from the EAP, and the aim was to help the individual find care for children, elderly parents, etc.

After 2000, the EAP began to gain ground in Europe, as large international work organizations wanted to give EAP access to employees around the world.

The Employee Assistance European Forum (EAEF) was set up in 2003 to bring together EAP providers and ensure that EAP is implemented in Europe in accordance with relevant quality standards.

Initially, businesses in Europe were reluctant to take up the EAP, as employers did not find it prudent to invest in something that affected an individual’s private life and personal responsibility. Soon, however, employers began to find that it was actually worthwhile for a work organization to offer professional help in resolving problems.

In 2005, the European Union adopted guidelines, making it mandatory to prevent stress at work. As a result, interest in EAP increased, as employers were obliged not only to prevent accidents at work but also to identify and reduce psychosocial risks in the workplace.

The beginnings of the EAP in the Adria region date back to the beginning of 2011. At that time, we decided to “bring” the EAP to Slovenia as many studies have determined the usefulness of this program. We then gradually started to expand our EAP services in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia (these countries were all part of Yugoslavia). We started with the establishment of a network of experienced counsellors, who then received additional training in the field of EAP.

The covid-19 epidemic, which began in the spring of 2020, has shaken the mental health of many individuals. Employers have begun to pay even more attention to employee mental health as part of workplace health promotion. As a result more and more employers are aware about the importance of taking care of employee’s health and well-being and interest in EAP has increased.