Characteristics of an external employee assistance programme in Japan

Background Mental health care is now a major occupational health issue in Japan. Although realizing effective use of external employee assistance programmes (EAPs) has been identified as crucial for mental health care, few scientific papers describe or analyse the characteristics of EAPs in Japan. Aims This study sought to clarify the characteristics of an external EAP in Japan. Methods The characteristics of an external EAP were clarified in terms of programme description and utilization. A total of 10 260 counselling sessions from 1996 to 2000 were used for utilization analysis. Results The EAP studied had contracts with 133 organizations, half of which were health insurance societies. The EAP provided employees and family members with free, confidential counselling. Annual mean utilization rate per 1000 individuals increased from 1.3 in 1996 to 2.7 in 2000. Less than one-third of counselling sessions were for work-related mental health issues, and male users (30%) consulted significantly more often than female users (14%) for such problems. Among men, career development issues were most common, while job dissatisfaction was highest among women. Absenteeism, depression and fatigue were the most frequently observed problems in both sexes. Conclusions EAP use in Japan is rising. The majority of its use is for non-work-related health issues. Male users were more likely to consult for work-related mental health problems.