Following the World Mental Health Day on 10th October, Maritime Charities Group (MCG) and the Merchant Navy Training Board are calling shipping companies and training providers to adopt best practices for mental health awareness training.
In fact, speaking during the World Mental Health Day, Commander Graham Hockley LVO RN and Chair of the MCG, said:
One in four people will develop a mental health problem during their lifetime, but the incidence amongst seafarers is much higher. Sadly the Covid-19 crisis has made the situation even worse. Now is the time for shipping companies to provide relevant, high quality mental health and wellbeing awareness training that meets the needs of their crew.
In light of the situation, the organizations issued a Standard which sets a benchmark for training that aims to develop a keen awareness and appreciation of mental health and wellbeing amongst seafarers, as well as those with an interest in seafaring.
It includes course content, delivery and the qualification requirements of course facilitators. Commander Hockley further explained:
If you’re working at sea you need a course that’s much more targeted otherwise it just won’t be relevant. That’s why we’ve developed the Standard, setting out clearly what a good training course should cover.
What is more, Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) is a training course provider to over 40 constituent maritime welfare organisations and has already adopted the Standard for future mental health awareness training courses.
Following there, shipping industry representative, Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping concluded:
We were delighted to work with the MCG to make this Standard available but now is the time to remind those responsible for commissioning training that it’s there and they need to use it. In time for World Mental Health Day on Saturday, we’re calling on companies to make sure they provide mental health and wellbeing awareness training for their crew and that it meets the relevant standards.
