Seafarers' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: An examination of current supportive measures and their perceived effectiveness

Vaccinating international seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite their key role in the distribution of essential goods, seafarers were often overlooked in international COVID-19 responses. Border closures isolated them at sea, often for months beyond contract. Distributing vaccines to seafarers was inconsistent and often depended on the creativity of charities and industry and labour stakeholders. Even seafarers who received vaccinations often had them unrecognised in the ports they visited. These oversights should not be repeated in preparation for future pandemics. As a vulnerable population and as key international workers, seafarers' health should be prioritised by national and international health policy.

Psychosocial work environment and mental health among the global workforce of seafarers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health outcomes of international seafarers, who played a crucial role in maintaining global trade during the pandemic. The study examined how changes in psychosocial work environment and policies affected mental health outcomes among seafarers.

METHODS

We analyzed a survey including answers from 17,861 seafarers, serving on 44 different international commercial vessels with 154 different nationalities. Stress, anxiety, and depression were applied as outcome measures in this study. Three sets of independent variables were included; work-related consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, general psychosocial work environment onboard, and socioeconomic variables. First, we applied binary linear regression, followed by a multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The study found that changes in safety consciousness and clear communication from employers were associated with better mental health outcomes among seafarers. Eroded policies related to crew changes had a significant negative effect on mental wellbeing due to delays caused by national quarantine guidelines and travel restrictions. The results also showed a discrepancy in mental health outcomes between those onboard and those onshore, with stress being present in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that crisis management within shipping companies played an important role in mitigating adverse mental health outcomes during the pandemic. Clear communication from employers and emphasizing safety issues onboard were effective strategies for promoting better mental wellbeing among seafarers. However, delays in crew changes had a significant negative impact on mental health outcomes, highlighting the need for global cooperation and overarching agreements to protect international seafarers during times of crises.

The impact of COVID-19 on maritime pilots: Evidence and lessons

The COVID-19 pandemic led to port congestion and disruption to global logistics and supply chains. While previous research has examined the impact on port performance and economics, social issues, such as the impact on port personnel (including pilots), have been overlooked. In this context, this paper examines the challenges experienced by Chinese pilots during the pandemic through in-depth interviews with 28 pilots. It shows that the draconian pandemic control measures adopted in China, rather than the pandemic itself, impaired pilots' physical and mental health, reduced their availability, and introduced new safety hazards, which curtailed both the port's capacity and ability to provide efficient and safe pilotage and resulted in sub-standard services. The findings suggest that there is a serious issue regarding the absence of effective mechanisms for pilots to raise their health and safety concerns and how these might be addressed by port administrators and/or local authorities. Worker participation and involvement in occupational health and safety management was problematic. These findings have implications for pilot station management at both company and government administrative and legislative levels.

Fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic: The experiences of Chinese seafarers

Though the COVID-19 pandemic is drawing to a close, very little is known about the impact of China's zero-COVID policy on Chinese seafarers. This paper examines Chinese seafarers' experiences of fatigue during the pandemic. It adopted a mix-method research design involving two quantitative surveys conducted with seafarers before and during the pandemic and 35 in-depth interviews with both seafarers and managers. All the participants were from two Chinese shipping companies. The comparisons between the two surveys show that Chinese seafarers experienced significantly higher levels of fatigue during the pandemic. The interview data suggest a range of factors underpinning the higher levels of fatigue including fear of being infected, increased workload, wearing of four-piece personal protection equipment (PPE), the deprivation of shore leaves, and the prolonged service time. More importantly, the data indicate that the draconian zero-COVID policy in China and the related policy guidelines for Chinese shipping companies and seafarers reinforce these factors. This research extends previous research by providing an exclusive and comprehensive examination of seafarer fatigue during the pandemic and revealing that the policies adopted by seafarers' home countries can have profound implications for seafarers' experiences of fatigue. Suggestions are provided at the end of the paper.

Fatigue at sea during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative study of two matched samples of seafarers

This paper examines seafarers' experience of fatigue during and after the pandemic. A multi-phase mixed methods research design was used, including two quantitative surveys (N_{during-pandemic=501} and N_{after-pandemic=412}) and 36 in-depth interviews. Applying propensity score matching the two samples to approximate the conditions of a randomized controlled experiment, the study shows that surprisingly seafarers reported higher levels of fatigue after the pandemic. Qualitative interviews with seafarers and ship managers reveal the underlying reason - the intensified ship inspection regime together with policy and regulatory updates/revisions in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic increased seafarers' workload and made seafarers more fatigued. The results of the two surveys also show that while fatigue risk factors differed between the two periods, fatigue risk can be managed and mitigated in both periods by implementing fatigue risk management policies and practices. Policy and management implications for improving seafarers' occupational health and safety are discussed at the end of the paper.

"I Constantly Feel Worn Out": Mixed-methodology Approach to Seafarers' Sleep on Board

Although seafaring is one of the most important professions for trade in goods in the 21st century, the results of recent research indicate that seafarers face various sources of stress in their work, including high workload and long working hours. These stressors can be reflected in low job satisfaction and poor mental health, which can result in sleep problems, and consequently lead to various somatic symptoms. The main goal of this mixed method research was, therefore, to expand knowledge about seafarers' sleep on board, whereby a sequential explanatory design was used. Study 1 (N = 286 male seafarers from Croatia) examined whether the number of sleep hours on board has a mediating role in explaining the relationship between job satisfaction and mental health as predictors of somatic symptoms. The results of the path analysis showed that higher job satisfaction directly and indirectly through longer sleep on board reduces the number of somatic symptoms, while better mental health directly contributes to fewer somatic symptoms. Study 2 (N = 205 seafarers from Croatia) aimed to get a deeper insight into the sleep of seafarers on board, whereby 39% (N = 80) of the participants had difficulties related to sleep problems on board. The thematic analysis of their answers (N = 76) showed the sleeping difficulties experienced by seafarers on board and gave an insight into the consequences of sleeping difficulties and the coping strategies they use. The results of this research indicate the importance of developing healthy work environments for seafarers.