A new report presented at the Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea conference on March 16, 2018 shows that over a quarter of all seafarers show signs of depression.
The study was carried out by the Sailor’s Society and Yale University on over 1,000 seafarers, 1 out of 6 of those hailing from the United Kingdom.
26% of the participants stated that they had felt “down, depressed or hopeless” on several days over a two week period.
Participants stated a wide range of influencers on their mood; including quality and amount of food, length of contracts, and isolation from their families.
45% of the participants who reported symptoms of depression said they have not sought help from anyone, 34% had spoken only to friends and families, and only 21% had consulted a colleague despite spending months in close proximity.
The Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea conference brought leaders and expert maritime leaders together to discuss the impact of seafarer wellness on the industry and how to combat issues such as depression.
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Dan Thompson, 29, from London told the conference he had to take time away from his job as a navigation officer when diagnosed with depression.
Thompson: “The reason I became ill was primarily my job – the workload, the sleep deprivation and the pressures of the job.
“Having lived at sea I would anticipate the numbers of people suffering from depression to be even higher than those who admitted it in the survey.
“Our industry is generally more ‘macho’ than many others. The attitude is to just toughen up and get on with it. There is a fear of talking about it openly, of losing your job.”
Dan Thompson (left) and Sailors' Society's CEO Stuart Rivers at the Wellness at Sea Conference in London
Speaking about the report Sailors’ Society Deputy CEO Sandra Welch said: “Seafarers spend months on end at sea, facing some of the toughest conditions of any workforce – isolation, cramped living quarters, noise, heat, storms – sometimes they’re not even able to stomach the food on board.
“This report is a wake-up call to the industry about the huge impact this is having on seafarers’ mental health.
“We’re working with shipping companies to help them offer the best care to their employees, who are the life blood of the industry and our global economy.”
