Hartford Business Journal

36 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | September 26, 2022 Chris Swift, CEO and chairman of The Hartford, encourages business leaders to address mental health and addiction in the workplace to dispel stigmas that can block treatment and recovery. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Ending a Vicious Cycle The Hartford's partnership with Yale seeks to help businesses combat addiction, pain and stigma By Andrew Larson alarson@hartfordbusiness.com P roperty and casualty insurer The Hartford has partnered with the Yale School of Medicine to launch a new program focused on addiction, pain management and stigma, meant to help reverse staggering workplace trends that result in lost productivity and, in some cases, death. The partnership with the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine involves training medical providers to better treat injured workers and curb the opioid crisis, which last year led to a record level of overdose deaths in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 107,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2021, with 75% involving an opioid. Dr. David Fiellin, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine, hopes that businesses will partner with clinical experts, like those at the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, to learn more about addiction and life-saving treatments. "The role of organizational leader- ship in helping to reduce the stigma around the issues of substance use and addiction among workers SOBERING STATISTICS • 65% of on-the-job accidents in 2020 were caused by drug and alcohol misuse in the work- place, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 388 of the 4,786 fatal work injury deaths in 2020, or 8.1%, were from unintentional overdose from nonmedical use of drugs. • Nationally, almost 9% of working adults have a substance use disorder, including 6.7% with an alcohol use disorder and 1.6% with a cannabis use disorder, according to the National Safety Council. cannot be understated, especially in the wake of the opioid epidemic and COVID pandemic," Fiellin said. The Hartford's Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift said a better understanding of the nexus between workplace injuries and addiction will not only save lives but also help companies' bottom lines. "Employers who prioritize diver- sity, equity and inclusion, invest in employee mental health and lead with empathy will differentiate themselves in the marketplace, achieve better business outcomes and help millions of Americans enjoy healthier lives," Swift said in an interview with the Hartford Business Journal. Stigma free Similar scenarios play out across the country: A worker suffers an injury and is prescribed medication, such as an opioid, to treat the pain. The worker may develop substance abuse disorder, if the medication interferes with their life and they continue using it despite those consequences. The employee may avoid treatment due to feelings of shame, guilt and the fear of losing their job. As their addic- tion festers, the effects can ripple throughout the business, lowering productivity and morale. Injuries from slips and falls are a leading cause of work-related injury and disability — and they're frequently managed with medications that can impact a worker's ability to work safely. Connecticut employers reported 33,300 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2020, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of those incidents, nearly 70% (22,800) were of a severe nature, involving days away from work, job transfer or restriction. Injuries were most common in the trade, transportation, utilities, educa- Dr. David Fiellin

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