Seafarer mental health is considered ‘a serious concern’

TIN news:  As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, The Mission to Seafarers has taken the opportunity to highlight the many health challenges faced by seafarers and calls on the industry to offer wider services that could help safeguard their welfare.

Much of the work undertaken by the Mission to Seafarers globally involves mental health support, from offering the ability to contact families, to being on-hand to support seafarers struggling with depression and fatigue, and even providing support after cases of attempted suicide.

It’s not uncommon for merchant seafarers and cadets to spend between six months and a year working away from home, unable to see their families. During this time the majority of seafarers are unable to rely on access to the internet to use platforms such as Skype or WhatsApp to maintain contact with loved ones.

A recent survey by the Seafarers Trust reported that as many as 77 per cent of seafarers have their internet access limited to email or text, or have no access to internet on board at all.

Tim Tunley, a port chaplain covering Scotland, noted that, despite industry efforts, incidents of fatigue, poor internet connectivity and a lack of shore time are still prevalent, placing a huge strain on the mental welfare of seafarers

Moreover, it is not uncommon to see crew members suffering from cultural isolation, considering the multinational environment where seafarers are working. There are occasions during which seafarers can suffer from cultural isolation. The happiness and mental welfare of a crew often depends on how well that crew gets on and works together, and if there are language barriers and a lack of shared cultural references, it can be very difficult for crews to form a strong bond.

The Mission to Seafarers support seafarers through many ways, for example chaplains act as companions when the seafarer leaves the vessel, and provide somebody for the individuals to talk to, they signpost them towards help from online resources such as the Big White Wall, or ISWAN.  All of their chaplains are trained to respond to a range of mental health issues and help seafarers deal with the stresses and strains of life at sea.