The UK P&I Club provides advice on how to spot the mental health signs among the crew onboard. A recent analysis revealed that anxiety, social isolation, pressure of work and disturbed sleep can affect crew, all of which can negatively affect crew of all ages, nationalities and ranks.
Recognizing mental health issues is the first step in accessing the support needed to recover, the Club notes. Once you have noticed the signs, it is important to take action: encourage and stimulate your crew members and draw their attention to the prevention of mental health issues in meetings ; Identify what you want to achieve, set timeframes and involve key personnel; Organise an event to celebrate and announce the plan to your crew.
“If you notice a fellow colleague or crewmember experiencing any one or more of these signs, on a regular basis, or constantly over a two week period, or if you are concerned about your own mental health, please talk to someone. Tell the Master or a senior officer and get help”, the UK P&I Club states.
Also, further support is available from ISWAN’s SeafarerHelp and the Sailors’ SocietyWellness at Sea App.
The UK P&I Club lists the following physical & behavioral symptoms as signs of mental health issues:
Physical symptoms
- Suffering from frequent minor illnesses, headaches or stomach upsets
- Difficulty sleeping or constant tiredness or feeling of fatigue
- Feeling run down
- Lack of care over appearance
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Minor physical ailments
Emotional/behavioural symptoms
- Irritability,aggression or tearfulness
- Loss of humour
- Indecision, inability to concentrate on tasks , increased errors, missing deadlines or forgetting tasks • Increased consumption of caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and/or sedatives
- Loss of confidence
- Difficulty remembering things
- Becoming withdrawn, not participating in conversations or social activities and spending increasing amounts of time alone in cabins
- Disruptive behaviour
- Poor job performance
- An employee who is normally punctual frequently arriving late
