performance, an Employee Assistance Programme counsellor told Hamilton Lions Club members yesterday.

More than a third of the EAP's referrals were people having problems in their personal relationships, Ms Brenda Williams said.

And people with drug and alcohol-related problems made up just 7 percent of the EAP's clients.

Around 16 percent of the referrals were for family problems and 19 percent for psycho-emotional problems, she said.

Ms Williams, who started working with EAP in May as a general counsellor, brings 17 years of experience in the areas of mental health and substance abuse to the job. She is one of three EAP counsellors who help some 1,100 employees of more than 100 local companies.

A power struggle, in which one partner often finds his or her self compromising how they feel in an effort to please the other, was the biggest cause of unhealthy relationships, causing resentment and an imbalance, she said.

Communication was often the key to solving the complex struggle. Ms Williams added that the EAP's role was expanding as people learned mental health is just as important as physical health.