ABUSE AND HARASSMENT AMONG KEY CHALLENGES TO SEAFARERS' MENTAL HEALTH

As the world tries to recover from the effects of the recent pandemic, other key challenges to seafarers’ mental health are coming to light, particularly abuse, bullying, harassment and discrimination.

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On World Mental Health Day, the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) has shared insights into the mental health challenges seafarers are reporting to its helplines.

Data from ISWAN's renowned helpline service, SeafarerHelp (available for

free, 24/7, to seafarers around the world), shows the significant impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting crew change crisis had on seafarers' psychological wellbeing.

Among those who contacted SeafarerHelp with mental health issues at the height of the pandemic in 2020,

being stranded on board for long periods was a key factor for 39% of seafarers, while 14% said they were suffering from fatigue.

While the proportion of calls and messages to SeafarerHelp linking mental health with repatriation and fatigue has declined since 2020, another mental health challenge has emerged as a significant problem. To date in 2022, 15% of all seafarers contacting SeafarerHelp with mental health issues reported experiences of abuse, bullying, harassment or discrimination (up from 8% in 2021).