The Mission to Seafarers’ Post

“There is an urgent need for systemic reforms to safeguard their mental and physical welfare whilst nurturing a culture of respect, inclusivity, and support both at sea and ashore.” This was written in the recently published Seafarer Happiness Index for Q1 2024, and it illustrates exactly why proper mental health support and training is crucial. The happiness index rose from 6.36 to 6.94 out of 10 compared to Q4 2023, and some of the key factors to this were: • Improved connectivity: Facilitating communication with loved ones reduces the feeling of loneliness and isolation. • Positive work relationships: Seafarers who foster a sense of camaraderie at work show the highest satisfaction levels. • Well-being initiatives and policies: Companies that prioritize empathy, leadership, and the well-being of their crew have a clear positive impact. It is imperative to address the causes that negatively impact the happiness of seafarers and to prioritize mental health support and training to improve their overall mental health and well-being. Although the report from Q1’s happiness index presents an optimistic outlook, it is vital to continue to address the causes of poor wellbeing at sea and to remember that even among the improved areas, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Thank you to The Mission to Seafarers, NorthStandard, Idwal, and INMARSAT for the valuable insights. Read the full Seafarers Happiness Index here: https://lnkd.in/epEcRhJ2 #maritime #seafarers #mentalhealth #wellbeing #shipping #maritimehealth 

Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS) is raising awareness about the increasing levels of loneliness and isolation among Indian seafarers. Their clinical psychologists have noticed an increase in calls related to these issues, especially in cases of cultural disparities and a lack of supportive environments. Communal dining and shared meals, a significant part of Indian culture, are often missing onboard, further deepening the impact of isolation. MHSS seeks more recognition and backing for seafarers' mental health challenges, such as bullying, harassment, and the tough shift from sea to family life. #MarinerWelfare #SeafarerWelfare

🌊 Seafarer Mental Health: Navigating the Hidden Currents 🌊 The life of a seafarer is filled with challenges that many of us onshore may never fully understand. Long periods away from loved ones, isolation, loneliness, and the pressures of demanding work can silently take a toll on their mental well-being. Yet, mental health issues among seafarers often remain unspoken—viewed as a silent storm. 🚢 The Digital Disconnect: One growing concern is the over-reliance on the internet as a form of escape. While connecting with family or friends online can provide comfort, many seafarers find themselves isolating further, consumed by social media, feeling disconnected from their crewmates, and comparing their lives to the seemingly perfect lives they see on their screens. 🛠️ We can start with small Changes: Encourage "offline" connection. Creating opportunities for social interaction on board—whether through team activities, communal meals, or hobby-sharing sessions—can foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie among the crew. Just as important as internet access is the ability to maintain human-to-human connections in the present moment. We must remember that mental health is just as critical as physical safety for those who keep the world’s trade moving. Let’s ensure our seafarers are supported not only through policies but also through meaningful engagement and care. #SeafarerMentalHealth #MaritimeWellbeing #MentalHealthMatters #ConnectionMatters

🌍 Happy World Mental Health Day to All Seafarers! 🌊🧠 On this special day, the National Seafarers' Welfare Board of Nigeria (NSWBN), Constituent Members, Seafarers’ Port Welfare Committees (SPWCs) and Volunteers stand with all seafarers, recognizing the unique challenges you face both on board and ashore. Your mental health is as important as your physical safety. Today, we encourage you to take a moment for yourself, prioritize your well-being, and remember that support is always available. Here are some tips to maintain optimum mental health: 1. Stay Connected: Regular communication with family, friends, or colleagues helps combat feeling of isolation and loneliness. 2. Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is a great stress reliever—try stretching or light exercises. 3. Sleep Well: Establish a consistent sleep routine to stay energized and reduce stress. 4. Talk About It: If you're feeling overwhelmed, reach out to someone you trust. Mental health support is available! 5. Engage in Hobbies: Take time for activities you enjoy, whether reading, listening to music, or watching films, to keep your mind active and positive. Your mental health matters—whether at sea or on shore. We are here for you. Let’s navigate toward a healthier, happier future together! 🚢💙 #WorldMentalHealthDay #SeafarersWelfare #MentalHealthMatters #NSWBN #SupportSeafarers #SeafarerCare #WellBeingAtSea

🌍 Happy World Mental Health Day to All Seafarers! 🌊🧠 On this special day, the National Seafarers' Welfare Board of Nigeria (NSWBN), Constituent Members, Seafarers’ Port Welfare Committees (SPWCs) and Volunteers stand with all seafarers, recognizing the unique challenges you face both on board and ashore. Your mental health is as important as your physical safety. Today, we encourage you to take a moment for yourself, prioritize your well-being, and remember that support is always available. Here are some tips to maintain optimum mental health: 1. Stay Connected: Regular communication with family, friends, or colleagues helps combat feeling of isolation and loneliness. 2. Exercise Regularly: Physical activity is a great stress reliever—try stretching or light exercises. 3. Sleep Well: Establish a consistent sleep routine to stay energized and reduce stress. 4. Talk About It: If you're feeling overwhelmed, reach out to someone you trust. Mental health support is available! 5. Engage in Hobbies: Take time for activities you enjoy, whether reading, listening to music, or watching films, to keep your mind active and positive. Your mental health matters—whether at sea or on shore. We are here for you. Let’s navigate toward a healthier, happier future together! 🚢💙 #WorldMentalHealthDay #SeafarersWelfare #MentalHealthMatters #NSWBN #SupportSeafarers #SeafarerCare #WellBeingAtSea

Insights - Seafarer wellbeing research by Idwal and SAFETY4SEA respectively Seafarers who benefit from good rest, good food, exercise, socialisation and contact with those at home are likely to be happier, more motivated, and better placed to attend to their duties. These are some of the reasons why NorthStandard advocates consistently for improving seafarer welfare, and is a proud sponsor of the The Mission to Seafarers to Seafarers report; the Seafarers Happiness Index (read the report here 📔 https://ow.ly/lCF650RznSm ). It is heartening to see this sentiment echoed by various international organisations as they invest in pursuits that investigate the seafarer condition. We are hopeful that the healthy amount of attention paid to the cause will play a role in improving seafarer wellbeing at sea. To read our article "Seafarer wellbeing research by Idwal and Safety4Sea respectively" in full, click here 📑 https://ow.ly/2jC850RznSn #wellbeingatsea #seafarerwellbeing #lifeatsea #crewwelfare #SHI #MissiontoSeafarers

Quality of life at sea: A scoping review of mariners and their occupational wellbeing Over the past several months, I worked through the scoping review process in a preliminary phase of the capstone proposal. I chose the maritime industry with a population focus on mariners and conditions focus on quality of life and wellbeing, and excluded military related keywords. Most of my connections on this platform are in the maritime community, and can speak to a variety of challenges they have experienced. In a study by Svetina et al. (2024), mental health is severely impacted by life at sea with themes around environmental, social, and health factors. There is a direct correlation between mental health and stress to motivation and retention within the industry. Specific reasons for exiting the industry included: social stressors, isolation, cultural differences, and workplace harassment. Continuing on the topic of mental health as it relates to the role of mariners, Shukla (2022) confirmed that mariners are at a greater risk for burnout as compared to the general population. There is a general concern for mental health from charities, associations, and unions, but employers find the matter to be a less urgent issue. The mariners that were surveyed by Shukla (2022) reported preference for proactive methods such as improved access to communication, leisure, and health needs as opposed to current reactive methods which includes counselling and self-help strategies. I believe the challenges with mental health comes as no surprise to my maritime connections, but I hope it is validating and encourages action to better address the problems to improve the quality of life for mariners. While I am not studying psychology or social work, mental health plays a significant role in our daily occupations. It affects our interests, participation, and engagement. I believe there is a lot of room for continued work within the industry with an occupational lens for program development, advocacy, and studies on the impacts of drug use on occupations at sea, effects of abuse on participation and engagement, and improved needs assessments for mariners. . . . . References: Shukla, S. (2022). Mental health problems and factors affecting seafarers health. Journal NX, 8(6), 169-176. https://lnkd.in/edaiMPHx Svetina, M., Perkovic, M., Gabedava, G., Yang, C., Gu, Y., Mindadze, A., Mikeltadze, N., & Davitadze, L. (2024). Factors impacting seafarers’ mental health and career intentions. https://lnkd.in/eehUBsg9

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay with the theme 'prioritising mental health in the workplace' Racing Welfare understands the importance of addressing mental health & wellbeing in the workplace, for the benefit of people, organisations & communities More: https://lnkd.in/eV3AmD4E

The final published paper of the Special Issue on "Seafarers' Mental Health and Well-being" Sage builds on seafarers' needs and experiences. The study elaborated on an unprecedented sample of 13008 international seafarers. It revealed the significant relationship between high seafarers' well-being and happiness and work environment factors ( job satisfaction, expectations, ideal workplace, skills and training, and challenges, but not workload). Open access: https://lnkd.in/dta_hgrf The link to the Special Collection landing page contains the other articles published: https://lnkd.in/dMarpTEr #seafarer #mentalhealth #wellbeing #happiness #workenvironment #workingconditions #workload #shipping #psychologicalhealth #SGD8 #SGD3 #jobsatisfaction #healthyworkplace #humanfactors

Lloyd's Register (LR) and Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) have launched a new report: ‘Shining a light on seafarer wellbeing’. Around 90% of traded goods are carried across the oceans. Thanks to 1.65 million seafarers, this global transport network keeps products moving, providing us with everything we need in our daily lives. Keeping this critical workforce healthy and safe is vital. From the evidence we have built and collated, Lloyd’s Register and Lloyd’s Register Foundation believe that psychological and physical health are equally important for occupational safety – and that occupational safety doesn’t end at the gangway. Being safe on a ship means being protected from physical injury, and it also means minimising the risks to mental health – of which there are many examples: social isolation, long working hours, demanding working conditions, precarious employment, the threat of violence, bullying or harassment, little or no shore leave and periods at sea, away from home, of up to 11 months, which during COVID often stretched well beyond that. Without action, a career in seafaring, which offers so much opportunity but is already struggling to compete with land-based alternatives, risks being rejected entirely by future generations. Some of these risks are minimised by employers’ proactive action and maritime charities offer seafarers excellent pastoral and practical support. There is a role for everyone – regulators, flag states, employers, unions, charities and seafarers themselves – in keeping seafarers safe and well. To its clients, Lloyd’s Register is a trusted advisor, while Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF), which shares the same mission to enhance safety, is uniquely placed to support seafarer wellbeing in two main ways. The first is by building the evidence base for how wellbeing affects safety, and for what works, what doesn’t work and why when it comes to practical steps employers and others can take, with a focus on long-term and sustained change. Secondly, LRF is well placed to convene others in the use of this evidence and in making sense of the myriad of frameworks and terminologies that have emerged around occupational wellbeing and safety – particularly during COVID – so that individual organisations and employees can take evidenced-based action for the good of seafarers, the wider sector and society. COVID and the resulting crew-change crisis challenged seafarers, and highlighted their vital nature of their work like never before. As the maritime industry emerges from COVID, it simultaneously faces the momentous transition to green fuels alongside increasing automation and digitisation. Seafarers, and their wellbeing and safety, is more important than ever before. With this in mind, we’re proud to feature here the highlights of LR and LRF activity that relates to this endeavour, which we hope provides both inspiration and actionable insight. #June25 #DayoftheSeafarer