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21 Mar 2024
7 mins
Seafarers’ Mental Health at the Forefront

Recent studies indicate that up to half of all fatalities at sea may be associated with mental health problems.

“Additionally, a Yale study of around 1,500 seafarers, conducted just before the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed that approximately one in five seafarers surveyed, had had suicidal ideations.

Despite this, seafarers’ mental health issues can often go unrecognised, so prioritising mental well-being is essential for safe, efficient maritime operations,” Captain Anuj Velankar, Director, Commercial Maritime of International SOS, tells SeaVoices.

According to Capt. Anuj, the most impactful steps lie with the industry’s commitment to supporting seafarers’ mental health at sea.

Enlightened maritime employers are stepping up efforts to improve seafarer wellbeing and mental health.

“But there is more the maritime industry can and should do,” says Mr. Norhakim Sanwan, CEO of Mascon Technologies, a Singapore-based Maritime Tech start-up backed by Antler.

A former SMOU member, Mr. Norhakim describes himself as a seafarer by passion and an engineer by profession. He finds it pure joy to solve problems faced by his fellow seafarers; and one such problem is how to make life at sea better, safer and happier.

Mr. Norhakim, whose sea career spans close to a decade, is not unfamiliar with the mental health challenges that seafarers face.

Loneliness and homesickness, fatigue, high workload, challenging physical and living conditions, safety; job demands, limited time for recreation, onboard interpersonal relationships and long voyages are factors that contribute to the decline of mental health of seafarers.

He empathises with the cadets especially those sailing on their first ship. “The homesickness can be overwhelming,” he says.

Capt. Anuj concurs. His interactions with seafarers highlight that the most impactful stressor is the distance from family. “This emotional separation often leads to a sense of disconnect within the seafarer, contributing significantly to mental health challenges,” he adds.

“The family plays a significant role in ensuring the positive wellbeing of seafarer. Increased awareness and open discussions within families about mental health issues can significantly improve emotional support. However, many seafarers come from developing societies where discussing such issues remains taboo. If seafarers can openly address mental health concerns within their families, they will be more likely to effectively seek the help they need, to manage their mental health, when ashore.

Mr. Norhakim remembers observing his colleagues exhibiting various signs of distress, such as altered behaviour, decreased appetite, distant gazes, or diminished motivation at work, attributed to various factors. He emphasises the importance of training seafarers to identify signs of distress, enabling them to detect issues early and connect those in need with appropriate assistance. Additionally, he suggests that sharing concerns with a fellow crew member can help alleviate stress, especially when internet access is unavailable.

Sharing a personal anecdote, he vividly remembers how nearly missing his wedding ceremony due to not being to sign-off on time brought about a high level of anxiety and even, anger.

“I dealt with my emotions by working out in the gym, talking it out with my fellow seafarers and playing ping-pong with them; getting encouragement from my fiancée and her shipping director. SMOU also contacted the human resource department of my previous company to find a solution.”

To improve the mental wellbeing of seafarers, his recommendations include bonding over recreational activities onboard; monitoring of the wellbeing of all seafarers, particularly the younger ones; and yes, having internet access on board.

Another pressing concern is the increased workload and reduced crew strength onboard. “The workload gets heavier with not only fewer crew onboard, there is more paper work to complete to comply with more regulations. When I first started sailing in 2011, there were 31 crew members on board. On my last ship in 2022, there were only 22 of us,” Mr. Norhakim observes.

This compels him to create practical solutions to ameliorate the situation by using technology to cutting hours of tedious admin work for the crew on board.

Mascon Technologies created a mobile and web app to “digitise, verify and simplify the manual workflow processes of the seafarers”, he explains.

“We eliminate the paper-based system and multiple data entries. Through a single workflow on a single app, we get the same result of creating and updating all the necessary reports. The crew members are high value individuals and they should focus on doing the high value tasks. With more efficiency, they also get the time to rest.”

Mr. Erich Chia, Area Development Manager at Atlas Professionals, a global recruitment company that serves the energy, marine and renewable industries, agrees that mental health literacy training is important. He shares with SeaVoices that before any crew joins the vessels of the clients, they have to go through a safety talk.

“Before the crew sign on and get their contract issued, we conduct safety conversations on topics ranging from weather safety, staying healthy, Ergonomics to hand and finger injury and mental health. Prevention is better than cure and we don’t want to wait till a crisis hit,” Mr. Chia elaborates.

He notices that shipping companies are increasing the availability and quality of exercise facilities and encouraging strong relationships via social events on board.

Having some down time taking a dip in an Inflatable swimming pool, fishing and barbecuing are small but effective ways for seafarers to unwind and build relationships onboard. 

Onshore, Atlas Professionals organises events such as Seafarers Day for top management to participate in team building games with the seafarers shoulder to shoulder.

“Seeing the CEO and COO coming together to play does wonders to the morale of the team. It gives a sense that each one has a role to shape the collective future of the company,” Mr Chia points out. “It is also a good time for the company leaders to get a sensing of what’s happing on the ground.”

Atlas Professionals also publishes the annual Heroes Magazine that honours and recognises the efforts of the maritime professionals, their clients and colleague; to tap into their expertise and learn from each other’s experience.

“To be recognised as a Hero also goes a long way to boost self-confidence,” Mr. Chia adds.

Atlas Professionals also offers free mental health first aid courses to its members who want to be a certified mental health first aider for their organisation. Certificate holders will be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health illnesses and effectively guide a colleague towards the right support.

The recommendation is to have a similar number of mental health first aiders to medical first aiders, “ideally a different individual providing further resilience for colleagues in the workplace”

So, are there any emerging trends or innovations in the field of maritime mental health that are showing promise in addressing seafarers’ mental health challenges?

Capt. Anuj answers with optimism, “The maritime industry has undergone a shift in its approach to addressing mental health at sea. Previously, seafarers lacked adequate support mechanisms, relying on seafarer charities for spiritual and limited mental health guidance.

Luckily, more recognition is now being placed on the fact that mental health issues can manifest through physical symptoms. As such, with the oversight of a medically-led organisation like International SOS, seafarers are benefitting from a more comprehensive and structured approach to emotional health and indeed overall health, delivered by qualified professionals.”

As the slogan goes, a happy ship is a safe ship.