As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, The Mission to Seafarers has taken the opportunity to highlight the many health challenges faced by seafarers
and calls on the industry to offer wider services that could help safeguard their welfare.
Much of the work undertaken by the Mission to Seafarers globally involves mental health support, from offering the ability to contact families, to being on-hand to support seafarers struggling with depression and fatigue, and even providing support after cases of attempted suicide.
It’s not uncommon for merchant seafarers and cadets to spend between six months and a year working away from home, unable to see their families. During this time the majority of seafarers are unable to rely on access to the internet to use platforms such as Skype or WhatsApp to maintain contact with loved ones.
A recent survey by the Seafarers Trust reported that as many as 77 per cent of seafarers have their internet access limited to email or text, or have no access to internet on board at all. Tim Tunley, a port chaplain covering Scotland, noted that, despite industry efforts….(Read More) Source: Safety 4 Sea