A new study carried out by British data researcher IPSOS on behalf of the UK’s Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency did not paint a positive picture of life at sea – of suicide among seafarers, the recording and reporting suicide, and of seafarers’ mental health.

The report, Suicide and Seafarers, which were obtained through discussions with shipowners, chaplains, unions and charities, points out that suicide is most likely being under recorded.

Released in June 2022, the research has already been used to advocate for an international database to record the manner and cause of crew deaths at sea at the International Labour Organisation.

There is still no agreed international framework for recording suicides at sea. A better understanding of the scale of the problem will ultimately allow government and industry to “create meaningful change”.

Unions and chaplains are frustrated at the underreporting when they often speak to suicidal seafarers in their role. There was a widespread sense that any figures reporting suicide among seafarers are likely to be inaccurate and too low.

Among the deficiencies in the recording and reporting of suicide is the definition of the population of seafarers – is it limited to just those onboard a ship or it includes seafarers who take their lives while ashore, or after they have retired.

The issues of poor mental health and, specifically, suicide were felt to be widespread enough among the workforce that defining the population would need to be resolved before an accurate picture could be established. Unions and charities felt “especially strongly about this, given their role and responsibilities”.

Suicide is poorly understood by the industry and by seafarers and the study uncovered a “deep reticence” to discuss the issue. The research participants freely described how culturally problematic suicide can be for certain nationalities – particularly those from Philippines and China.