Mental Care
You are part of it!
Healthier, fitter, safer.
mental Care,
you are part of it!...
Seafarers can help each other!
Your mental state is part of your life.
In extreme cases true mental illness occurs and needs medical
involvement.
It is therefore important that symptoms and signs of mental illness are
noticed early and on board ship, crew members and friends are often
well placed to form an impression of a seafarer’s mental state.
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Several risk factors onboard ship may have an influence on your mental
state:
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increased work requirements
reduced manning levels
increased monotony
fatigue
job stress
family pressure
dangers at sea
complexity of systems, automation
fear of criminalisation
shift patterns
quality of rest
Increased frequency of inspections, administration
greater commercial pressure
fast turnaround times
increased use of multinational crews
lack of common language
reduced familiarity with working together
In addition, some seafarers are exposed to harassment and bullying
onboard ship.
Alcohol or drugs also influence behaviour and emotions, and therefore
pose safety risks onboard.
Whatever the cause, mental illness must be taken extremely seriously
both to protect you and your fellow crewmembers.
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Monotony
An important risk factor in the modern maritime industry is monotony.
Due to the increasing trend to automate work environments onboard
ship, jobs have tended to shift away from active to more supervisory
roles.
Many tasks now rely crucially on the ability to concentrate for long
periods of time.
Factors that have been proved to cause loss of concentration during
watch keeping, are:
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Time- many accidents tend to occur early in the morning at the
beginning or end of a shift when a seafarer is on watch alone
The technology used: automated systems may reduce vigilance
Monotony may therefore lead to reduced vigilance and pose a safety risk,
but it also has a negative effect on your mental state.
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Job Stress
Job stress causes harmful physical and emotional responses when you
are unable to meet the requirements of your job.
Typical symptoms of job stress can be:
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insomnia, lack of sleep
loss of mental concentration
anxiety
substance abuse
extreme anger and frustration
family conflict
physical illnesses such as heart disease, headaches, stomach problems,
and back problems.
Risk factors that can cause work related stress:
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the demands of the job;
the level of control you have over your work;
the support received from management and colleagues;
relationships at work;
your role in the organization;
change and how it’s managed.
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When under severe stress, you may be unable to take clear-cut decisions, re-evaluate and reassess priorities and lifestyles, and ultimately, fall
into unproductive distractions. This can be described as a classic case of
‘burnout’.
You may be at risk of burnout where:
you find it difficult to say ‘no’ to additional commitments or
responsibilities
you have been under intense and sustained pressure for some time
you find it difficult to delegate to assistants
you have been trying to achieve too much for too long
you have been giving too much emotional support for too long
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Anxiety
Anxiety isn’t always bad: it can help you to stay alert and focused, spur
you to action, and motivate.
However in anxiety disorders, constant or overwhelming anxiety interferes with relationships and activities. Not everyone who worries a lot has
an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety is more than just a feeling, and since anxiety sufferers may also
experience physical symptoms, they often mistake their disorder for a
medical illness and visit many doctors and hospitals.
Anxiety attacks usually peak within ten minutes, and they rarely last
more than half an hour
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Common emotional symptoms of anxiety include:
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irrational and excessive fear and worry
trouble concentrating
feeling tense and jumpy
anticipating the worst
irritability
restlessness
watching for signs of danger
feeling like the mind’s gone blank
Common physical symptoms of anxiety include:
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pounding heart
sweating
stomach upset or dizziness
frequent urination or diarrhoea
shortness of breath
tremors and twitches
muscle tension
headaches
fatigue
insomnia
Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand.
Encouraging your fellow crewmembers to share their problems can help
enormously. Listen sympathetically to what they have to say, remain
objective and use your common sense.
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Depression
It’s impossible to escape life’s ups and downs. Feeling unhappy or sad in
response to disappointment, loss, frustration or a medical condition is
normal. Many people use the word “depression” to explain these kinds of
feelings, but that is really situational depression, which is a normal
reaction to events around us.
Clinical depression, however, overwhelms and engulfs your day to day
life, interfering with your ability to work, eat, sleep, and have fun.
It is unrelenting, with little if any relief.
You may be emotionally up one day and down the next to the extent of
being morose and even sullen.
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Very depressed people may commit suicide. Suicidal individuals often
give warning signs or signals of their intentions. Play a role in suicide
prevention by pointing out the alternatives, showing care, and getting a
professional involved. It is also essential that correct precautionary measures are taken, such as removing potentially dangerous medicines, sharp
objects and items such as string and rope.
Depression in men is very often expressed in anger, aggression, reckless
behaviour and violence
If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and
they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from clinical depression.
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you can’t sleep enough or you sleep too much
you can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now
difficult
you feel worthless and hopeless
you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try
you have lost your appetite or you can’t stop eating
you are constantly irritated or become enraged even at small things
– and this is new for you
you have thoughts that life is not worth living, or have a plan for how
you would end it (Seek help immediately if this is the case)
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Harassment and bullying
Harassment is unwanted conduct which has the purpose or effect of
violating the dignity of a person and of creating an intimidating, hostile,
degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
All seafarers have a responsibility for ensuring that their ships are free
from harassment and bullying.
Bullying frequently involves a misuse of power or position and is often
persistent and unpredictable. It can also arise when a person is unaware
of the effect that their behaviour is having on other people.
Fatigue
Fatigue reduces well-being and is a major risk factor for mental health
problems such as depression. It also increases the risk of acute illnesses,
and life-threatening chronic disease, such as cardiovascular diseases.
Fatigue can influence performance, and,
certainly when combined with high or low
workloads, can lead to an accident.
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Psychosis
A mentally ill person may experience delusions or hallucinations so
that what is experienced as a reality by the patient, is not what is really
happening or what is experienced by anybody else. In this case a patient
is called psychotic.
If you recognise these symptoms in a fellow crewmember, it is wise to assume that their behaviour may be so unpredictable as to become violent
or suicidal, possibly without provocation or warning.
Paranoia is often associated with psychotic disease and typically includes
unwarranted fears of persecution and threat.
In such cases on board, the seafarer should be monitored continuously,
although in case of agitation the presence of another person may cause
more upset and isolation may be necessary.
You should be aware that patience and a reassuring tone and attitude are
important and may have a beneficial effect.
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Drugs and alcohol
Drug and alcohol policies require shipping companies to have random
and emergency ‘for cause’ drug and alcohol testing systems in place.
Since a mental problem or change may be caused by drug or alcohol
abuse, routine testing of urine, saliva or blood onboard is important in
the assessment of a mental problem onboard...
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Job satisfaction
Having a useful job as member of a mutually supportive team can be one
of the best protections against mental health problems.
Sensitivity to the mental problems of your fellow crewmembers remains
at the heart of good management and efficient ship operations.
If you become aware that you or a fellow crewmember may have a mental problem, you should encourage them to seek help, not only onboard but also from ship visitors and welfare workers in port, who
can very often not only give mental support but also spiritual
and religious guidance.
Contact with family and friends also helps to lessen the
feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Ensure you have enough time for rest and don’t sacrifice
that time for more shore leave or to catch up on tasks.
Seek professional medical advice if you notice signs
and symptoms of mental problems and behavioural
changes.
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Where to find advice?
If you would like to have more information on Mental Care and are not
able to consult your doctor or a medical clinic, you can contact
SeafarerHelp, a free and confidential service provided by the
International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN)
SeafarerHelp is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,
in more than 20 languages including Russian, Philipino, Polish, Hindi and
French. You can reach SeafarerHelp by telephone, Email, Fax or SMS.
As well as being there for information about health, SeafarerHelp exists
to help you with any issues or problems you may want to discuss, about
anything from working conditions to family problems. Their trained helpline staff will help you by putting you in touch with the agency which is
most likely to be able to help you.
Whatever the problem, ring SEAFARER free on
(+) 800 73232737
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