Health horizons

The pathway to preventing dependency issues

A significant barrier to addressing addiction is the stigma associated with it. Statistics show that 47% of UK adults have experienced or know someone who has lived with addiction or dependency¹, suggesting that there are many individuals that are living with an addiction and may be reluctant to admit they have a problem due to fear of judgement and social repercussions. This reluctance often leads to hidden addictions, where individuals go to great lengths to conceal their substance use or behaviour.

Hidden addictions can be particularly damaging in the workplace, as employees may struggle silently, impacting their performance and wellbeing. Despite affecting 22 million UK adults aged 18-75, stigma prevents half of those experiencing addiction from speaking out, with 46% citing negative judgment and 39% citing shame as top concerns⁶. By breaking down the stigma surrounding addiction and encouraging early intervention, we can create a supportive environment where individuals feel safe to seek help. Early intervention is crucial as it can prevent substance misuse and problematic behaviour from escalating, leading to better outcomes for both employees and employers.

Karl Considine, an ambassador for the charity Alcohol Change UK says, “It is important to recognise that having an increased risk does not mean that substance issues are inevitable. But if issues do arise, the right support, delivered with compassion, empathy and understanding can prevent things from escalating and protect both employee and employer."

Brain chemistry

As a report by the American Surgeon General points out, “Research shows that the most effective way to help someone with a substance use problem who may be at risk for developing a substance use disorder is to intervene early, before the condition can progress.”

This will also head off changes in brain chemistry and signaling that are activated by long-term use and negatively impact key functions such as judgment, decision-making and stress responses.

Karl Considine says, “Anything that creates an environment in which people feel comfortable to seek help as early as possible makes a real difference. Often, substance issues do not arise in isolation but go hand-in-hand with poor mental and physical health². What may start as an attempt to self-medicate with substances or behaviours can, over time, lead to a cycle of temporary relief followed by low mood, poor mental and physical health and impaired performance that can be hard to break free from.”

Self-medication

Karl suggests, “that's why it's so important for alcohol to be part of the wellbeing agenda, mirroring and complementing the level of support that exists for mental health. Employers should also look at how alcohol factors into their workplace culture, while investing in education and training and ensuring they have human centred policies in place”.

“Together, these measures make it easier for people to seek and access help early, preventing issues from escalating. Not only is all of this the right thing to do for employees, boosting inclusion and wellbeing, but it will result in a happier, healthier and more productive workplace."

Unhealthy behaviours

This knowledge provides multiple starting points to begin to address unhealthy behaviours before they spiral into something more serious.

Dr Robin Clark, Medical Director of Bupa Global and UK Insurance says, “It also highlights the importance of self-awareness therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which help users to understand their feelings and behaviours and develop the tools to manage their mental health more effectively.”

CBT and the self-guided SilverCloud digital support provided by Bupa through insurance plans is evidence based and clinically validated and can be accessed at any time digitally.

Reducing stigma

Signposting support and providing easy access to CBT helps reduce stigma around seeking help. More importantly, it ensures employees can get effective support for a wide range of mental health challenges which might contribute to substance misuse.

For instance, 93% of users who access mental health support report strong satisfaction and 80% show an improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety³ — which often go hand-in-hand with substance misuse.

Studies looking at CBT interventions for alcohol misuse confirm it is far more effective at encouraging heavy drinkers to bring their consumption down to safe levels than simply providing information on the harms of excess alcohol. ⁴

Self-guided

Dr Clark says, “Another big plus to this sort of self-guided support is that individuals can seek help discretely, and progress through the therapy at their own pace”.

“This helps to overcome the stigma around substance abuse and encourages employees to address their issues with dependency or disordered behaviour before they escalate.”

For businesses, there are also legal obligations around health and safety to consider if an employee is coming to work under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Warning signs

For this reason, it’s important to ensure that line managers receive the training and support to recognise if someone is struggling and be able to signpost the support that is available.

Signs of a potential problem include:

Unexplained or frequent absences
Changes in behaviour
Unexplained dips in productivity
Performance or conduct issues
More accidents or near-misses

Support

However, Mike Trace, Chief Executive Officers of addiction charity The Forward Trust says, “So much of what we know about alcohol and drug addiction in the UK remains hidden because many people who struggle with it do not seek help”.

“Continued and increased access to drug treatment and recovery support services are vital in demonstrating to people in a cycle of addiction that another way is possible.”

Bupa Insurance provides a wealth of tools — such as online support via SilverCloud and informative and engaging health content from JAAQ — which build greater health and wellbeing literacy and resilience.

These resources will help to prevent issues by fostering improved physical and mental health and equip teams with the skills and support they need to address dependency and behavioural issues before they escalate.

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