Work/life services were used most for personal and financial support

What the study found: Among 5,604 work/life service cases in a Student Assistance Program, concierge-style support for personal life needs was used most often, followed by referrals for financial problems, legal issues, and childcare help.
Why the authors say this matters: The study suggests the findings may help describe how Student Assistance Program work/life services were used and how they differed from a large employee-based profile; the authors conclude study limitations and implications are discussed.
What the researchers tested: The researchers retrospectively analyzed archival real-world data from AllOne Health covering 2020 to 2024. The sample included students from 29 U.S. higher education institutions, and they examined service-use patterns and exploratory correlates of use.
What worked and what didn't: Personal life concierge support was used by 44% of cases, financial referrals by 36%, legal referrals by 12%, childcare help by 4%, and other services by 4%. Of 32 exploratory tests, 6 showed results, and all were small in size; younger students used childcare support more, older students used legal support more, service use was similar during the COVID-19 pandemic and after, and school characteristics had few meaningful associations with use.
What to keep in mind: The abstract says the study was descriptive and retrospective, so it reports observed patterns rather than experimental effects. It also notes that only small-effect exploratory associations were found, and that limitations are discussed without detailing them in the abstract.

Key points

• The study profiled 5,604 work/life service cases from a Student Assistance Program at AllOne Health.
• Concierge-style personal support was the most common service type at 44% of cases.
• Financial referrals were used in 36% of cases, legal referrals in 12%, and childcare help in 4%.
• Younger students used childcare support more, while older students used legal support more.
• Only 6 of 32 exploratory tests were significant, and all showed small effects.