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Everyone in the workforce, regardless of career or current employment status, can encounter work-related stress at some point. According to one report, 25 percent of people surveyed viewed their job as the top stressor in their lives.1 Job stress and related health issues, along with a variety of genetic and environmental influences, can cause some individuals to begin to use alcohol and/or drugs to relieve their stress, while putting others who have recovered from addiction at risk of relapse.2, 3 This document outlines the impact of workplace stress and substance use disorders, and provides tips and resources for getting help. Of the 20.3 million adults classified with substance use disorders in 2008, 15.8 million were employed either full- or part-time, indicating that a significant portion of the workforce is vulnerable to this disease.4
This September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, celebrates National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month). This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Now More Than Ever!,” emphasizes that treatment and recovery programs are as vital as ever, as the workforce faces increased levels of stress.
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Substance Use Disorders–An Important Workplace Issue
Stress in the workplace, which can contribute to increased substance use, has amplified in recent years due to job insecurity and a trend of working longer hours.5, 6 Substance use disorders can develop as a result, and unemployment is a risk factor. The rate of drug use in 2008 was higher for those who were unemployed, at 19.6 percent, than for those who were employed full time, at 8 percent, among adults 18 or older.7 Two of SAMHSA’s 10 Strategic Initiatives are to promote the overall well-being and health of individuals, families, and communities, and to boost employment opportunities for individuals, including those with mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
Studies identify specific sectors as “high risk” for addiction, including:8
- The restaurant, food, and catering industry;
- Transportation and construction workers; and
- High-status occupations, such as company directors, lawyers, and doctors.
Addressing substance use disorders is important because of their many consequences. 9
- For workers, substance use disorders result in deteriorating health, injury, disciplinary action at work, family problems, job loss, missing work, and/or on-the-job accidents.
- For employers, substance use contributes to increased costs, lower productivity, absenteeism, and loss of an advantage over the competition.
- For the unemployed, substance use disorders can prohibit them from finding a new job by distracting them from their job search.
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Tips for Managing Employment-Related Stress
While some stress is normal, extreme stress interferes with your productivity and diminishes your physical and emotional health. It’s imperative to find ways to keep your stress manageable. Fortunately, there are many productive ways for you and your colleagues to control and reduce stress and ultimately help combat the development of substance use disorders. These tips include:10
- Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being;
- Identifying habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work; and
- Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and co-workers.
Resources for the Workplace
Use the many resources found on the Recovery Month Web site at http://www.recoverymonth.gov and the SAMHSA Web site at http://www.samhsa.gov. Refer to the “Road to Recovery: Recovery in the Workplace” television and radio program to see the crucial role that employers play in the success of an individual’s recovery from substance use disorders.
Employers and employees can also consult the following resources for additional treatment and recovery information:
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Click here for a more in-depth version of this guide for the workplace.
Information about treatment options and special services in your area can be found by calling 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-487-4889 (TDD), as well as at http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment.
Inclusion of Web sites and events mentioned in this document and on the Recovery Month Web site does not constitute official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Sources
1Employee Burnout: America's Newest Epidemic. Northwestern National Life (now ReliaStar Financial Corporation), Minneapolis, MN: 1991.
2Substance Dependence and the Economy. Tarzana Treatment Centers Web site: http://www.tarzanatc.org/blog.aspx?PostID=9193e03b-e179-4a88-8e07-d230e772707b. Accessed August 10, 2009.
3Addiction: Understanding the Risk Factors. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America Web site: http://www.drugfree.org/parent/UnderstandingTeens/Articles/Pre-Disposition_to_Alcohol_Addiction.aspx. Accessed December 17, 2009.
4Data Courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, January 2010.
5Job Stress. The American Institute of Stress Web site: http://www.stress.org/. Accessed August 15, 2009.
6Substance Dependence and the Economy. Tarzana Treatment Centers Web site: http://www.tarzanatc.org/blog.aspx?PostID=9193e03b-e179-4a88-8e07-d230e772707b. Accessed August 10, 2009.
7Results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. HHS Publication No. SMA 09-4434. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, September 2009, p. 26.
8Safework: Drug and Alcohol Abuse–An Important Workplace Issue. The International Labour Organization Web site: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/drug/impiss.htm. Accessed July 21, 2009.
9Ibid.
10Stress at Work: How to Reduce and Manage Workplace and Job Stress. Help Guide Web site: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management. Accessed September 15, 2009.
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