Exploring the Impact of Digital Peer Support Services on Meeting Unmet Needs Within an Employee Assistance Program: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 4 people worldwide will experience a mental disorder in their lifetime, highlighting the need for accessible support.

Objective: This study evaluates the integration of digital peer support (DPS) into an employee assistance program (EAP), testing 3 hypotheses: (1) DPS may be associated with changes in EAP counseling utilization within a 5-session model; (2) DPS users experience reduced sadness, loneliness, and stress; and (3) DPS integration generates a positive social return on investment (SROI).

Methods: The study analyzed EAP utilization within a 5-session model using pre-post analysis, sentiment changes during DPS chats via natural language processing models, and SROI outcomes.

Results: Among 587 DPS chats, 432 (73.6%) occurred after business hours, emphasizing the importance of 24/7 availability. A matched cohort analysis (n=72) showed that DPS reduced therapy sessions by 2.07 per participant (P<.001; Cohen d=1.77). Users' messages were evaluated for sentiments of sadness, loneliness, and stress on a 1-10 scale. Significant reductions were observed: loneliness decreased by 55.04% (6.91 to 3.11), sadness by 57.5% (6.84 to 2.91), and stress by 56.57% (6.78 to 2.95). SROI analysis demonstrated value-to-investment ratios of US $1.66 (loneliness), US $2.50 (stress), and US $2.58 (sadness) per dollar invested.

Conclusions: Integrating DPS into EAPs provides significant benefits, including increased access, improved emotional outcomes, and a high SROI, reinforcing its value within emotional health support ecosystems.