Today’s maritime industry faces more mental health challenges than ever before. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but this awareness is a necessity every day of the year. Mental illness, digital overload, and the stress of navigating today’s complicated world all weigh heavily on our daily lives and job performance. Recognizing these challenges daily puts our businesses, operations, and society in the best position to support our mariners, employees, and teams — and their families and friends — during tough moments.
No two people are the same, and neither are their mental health experiences. Some live with daily challenges such as anxiety or depression, while others encounter situations and acute stress that disrupt routine tasks. In some cases, those mental challenges and distractions can lead to catastrophic outcomes if not properly identified or addressed — especially for mariners operating on the water.
Over the years, I’ve encountered employees and crewmembers battling mental health issues on a few occasions. From a management perspective, the best approach is to assess the individual situation and determine whether the person needs immediate help, a supportive conversation, or simply some personal time off. I’ve seen captains going through devastating personal circumstances — a messy divorce, for example — and I’ve had to make the difficult managerial decision to temporarily relieve a captain who I beleived could not safely operate the vessel. If crewmembers need mental health support, leadership must be aware, because without help, an unstable mental state can have serious — sometimes tragic — consequences. Mental distractions, much like distractions from a phone or device, can lead to the same problems.
So what do we know? We know we can’t prevent all stress from entering the workplace. We know everyone goes home to their own situation, and everyone handles things differently. We know mental health challenges exist on a wide spectrum.
What we don’t know is what someone is going through — unless we ask and listen, without judgment. Only then can we begin to offer meaningful support. A simple, sincere “How’s everything going?” can make all the difference.
We use the word “safety” often when talking about how our industry should operate. But there is an important human element not found in any safety policy: empathy. I encourage everyone to use more of it when working with crews and employees.
Sometimes it’s hard to ask for help. Be the one to ask first. It might just be the most important question you ever ask.
