Llaurant la Llum: this is workplace prevention of addictions

Addictions don't come out of nowhere; there are many contextual aspects that favor its appearance, even without the addicted person realizing it. Beyond the chemical reactions that occur in the nervous system when performing the act that satisfies the immediate need to consume, the environment exerts a very important influence both in the development of addiction and in its maintenance.

In this sense, there are currently entities that offer services for the prevention of addictive behaviors in the world of organizations, Since we spend a lot of time at work and what we are exposed to in it affects the possibility of developing this kind of issues.

In this case, we spoke with an expert in this field of intervention: Silvia Ros Verdeguer, Director of the Llaurant la Llum addiction treatment center, located in Valencia.

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Occupational prevention of addictions: interview with Llaurant la Llum

Silvia Ros Verdeguer is Director of Llaurant la Llum

, specialist in occupational prevention and graduate in Social Education, with a Master's Degree in Prevention and Intervention of addictive behaviors. Here he talks about the way in which a specialized organization like Llaurant la Llum works in the field of the prevention of addictions within the business context.

How do you intervene in companies from a center of the characteristics of Llaurant la Llum based on an addiction prevention program?

Llaurant la Llum has more than 30 years of experience in addiction treatment, and for more than 20 years he has been serving different companies in the treatment of workers with an addictive disorder. Throughout this time of collaboration, we detected the need for some companies to act in the area of ​​addiction prevention.

Within the framework of the occupational risk prevention law, Llaurant la Llum presents an addiction plan adapted to the reality of each company. The objective is to address in a direct and transversal way, the prevention of addictions in the company of those behaviors that can lead to an addictive disorder.

Do we tend to underestimate the main positive aspects that addiction prevention brings to the organization, assuming that addictive disorders are problems of each individual?

Definitely. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the advantages for companies that undertake the development of prevention programs are very beneficial: reduction of periods of sick leave, decrease in absenteeism, reduction of accidents at work, increase in productivity, improvement of the climate social...

There are studies that have shown a correlation between work activity and addictions. In the workplace there are certain conditions that may favor the acquisition or maintenance of addictive behaviors.

However, we must not forget that these specific risk factors of the work context act in interaction with others, such as individual and social risk factors, therefore, it is not a problem exclusively for each individual.

Is it difficult to modify the work culture of a company to make it more resistant to the appearance of addictions?

Our experience tells us that it is important for companies to have a culture of prevention, and for that to happen they must be involved all levels of the company: prevention services, human resources, unions and committee of company.

A consensus must be reached on how the analysis of the company's situation will be carried out, what the prevention program will consist of, how the help plan will be presented to the employee who exhibits addictive behavior and, finally, how the entire process will be evaluated process.

Knowing and being aware that the company has an addictions Plan that works on prevention causes the worker to increase the perception of risk. In this way, the normalization of addictive behaviors associated with work such as the consumption of tobacco, alcohol or cannabis is avoided.

What kind of harmful organizational dynamics can lead to the development of addictions among workers?

There are certain risk factors that favor addictions. These factors are related to the organization of work, the job and the work environment. In addition, in recent years, psychosocial risk factors have been given prominence which, from our perspective, are closely related to addictive behaviors.

Some of these psychosocial factors have to do with working time, autonomy, workload, demands psychological, role performance, relationships... These psychosocial risks translate into situations of stress, fatigue, conflicts, bullying...

Occupational prevention is the appropriate tool to develop a set of strategies in the workplace. work aimed at promoting health, minimizing risk factors and enhancing risk factors. protection. The ultimate goal is to prevent the development of addictive behavior, in addition to improving and strengthening the social support networks that exist within the company.

How long have Spanish companies been incorporating addiction prevention into their social responsibility policies? Is it a consolidated trend?

The World Health Organization highlights the healthy company model (WHO, 2008), which urges companies and entrepreneurs to adopt measures of prevention of alcohol and other drug use, taking into account the physical and psychosocial environment, as well as personal health and community.

On the other hand, the diffusion of the concept "corporate social responsibility" (CSR) contributes to more and more companies voluntarily carry out strategies and practices aimed at improving the safety and health of workers.

We still have a long way to go. We have to normalize that addictions are present in the workplace and respond within the framework of the company social policy, fleeing from old clichés ranging from sanctions to misunderstanding paternalism.

In the companies in which we provide assistance services, we have been integrating prevention plans for years but we do not see that it is a trend in other areas and other companies.

How are the cases of workers with addictive behavior problems identified and what procedures are followed in the companies where you collaborate?

One of the objectives of addiction prevention that we work on is the early detection of cases vulnerable and the identification of cases of workers who present consumption, but have not developed a dependence. Through a series of tools agreed with the medical service, company and workers, we can identify these cases and offer timely treatment that prevents evolution towards the following stages.

On some occasions we find workers who do present abuse or dependency. In these situations, Llaurant La Llum addresses the problem comprehensively, providing the worker with the appropriate treatment, the follow-up and referral to the most opportune resource and the planning of the return to work and its subsequent follow-up and reinsertion total.

In short, our job is to advise and manage this entire process, forming part, as an external resource, of the company's prevention service.

What is missing for companies to definitively adapt to this need to ensure the well-being of their members?

In order to implement an addiction plan and for it to give results, the will of the health and safety committee and the works council is necessary. All estates must endorse this support tool and agree on the limits of intervention.

The Employee Assistance Plan (PAE) is a set of planned actions, aimed at treating and supporting all those cases susceptible to intervention, through an assessment, treatment follow-up and subsequent reincorporation labor. The PAE must meet the requirements of voluntariness, confidentiality, individualization and flexibility, for all company workers and with the support of external organizations to carry out the treatment (public or private).

When the prevention service offers a worker with addictive disorders the possibility of entering the Employee Assistance Plan, it is giving him the opportunity to redirect her life. Many times where the family does not arrive... work does. And the worker's response is to thank the company for its support.