Reports and Surveys | February 3, 2023

EAPs and More: Higher Ed’s Range of Mental Health Offerings

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to both the need for mental health benefits and their value to faculty and staff. Behavioral health conditions related to the pandemic include anxiety, depression, trauma, stress-related disorders and starting or increasing substance use to cope.

Likely in response to these trends, more colleges and universities are offering EAP mental and behavioral health benefits, according to Segal’s latest College and University Benefits Study (CUBS).

CUBS also found that a large majority of higher ed institutions are addressing two other sources of stress — financial issues and caregiving responsibilities — by offering benefits targeted to those needs.

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The percentage of higher ed institutions offering several mental health services through employee assistance programs increased over the two years since the prior study.

This graphic is a set of horizontal bars that compare 2019 and 2021 CUBS data for four EAP mental health services offered by more than half of institution in the study. Over the two-year period, in-person counseling sessions with a clinician increased five points, from 80% to 85%; telephonic counseling sessions with a clinician increased three points, from 81% to 84%; substance use disorder professional services increased four points, from 77% to 81%; and critical incident stress management increased three points, from 60% to 63%.


To see more key findings on how colleges and universities are helping faculty and staff cope with sources of stress, download our infographic.

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CUBS covers much more about benefits offered in 2021 by hundreds of public and private higher education institutions!

Learn more about CUBS and request your copy of the study.

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Colleges and Universities Are Embracing HDHPs with HSAs

See more key findings about health benefits from the study, download our infographic.

Higher Education, Health

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How a Large Institution Optimized Benefits to Fit Its Budget

How an Institution Refined Benefits to Fit Its Budget Concerned about costs with a tight budget.

Health, Higher Education

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College and University Benefits Study (CUBS)

See how your total rewards and benefits stack up against your peers.

Health, Retirement, Higher Education, Public Sector

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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice. You are encouraged to discuss the issues raised here with your legal, tax and other advisors before determining how the issues apply to your specific situations.

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