The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafarers’ mental health and chronic fatigue: Beneficial effects of onboard peer support, external support and Internet access

Abstract

While commercial shipping remained vital for maintaining global supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic, measures imposed to control the spread of infection have disrupted crew changes and impacted interactions with port personnel and among crew members on board. Initial reports indicate that this affected work and life on board, the length of seafarers’ time on board as well as seafarers’ employment and family concerns. However, the consequences for seafarers’ well-being are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafarers’ mental health and chronic fatigue, and to analyze the role of potential mitigating factors, notably onboard peer support, external support and Internet quality. Survey responses from 622 seafarers on international commercial vessels were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings suggested that the impact of the pandemic increased seafarers’ fatigue and mental health problems. However, they also indicated ways of mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic and increasing resilience by enhancing support from fellow crew members on board, ensuring the availability of external support and providing fast and reliable Internet access.

Building social support: The impact of workgroup characteristics, the COVID-19 pandemic and informal interactions

“…Additional pressure may come from outside the organization. Emerging research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that seafarers' experiences varied [8,55,56]. For many, the pandemic increased existing job demands and created new ones [8,55].…”

“…Emerging research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that seafarers' experiences varied [8,55,56]. For many, the pandemic increased existing job demands and created new ones [8,55]. In addition to a higher workload from extra tasks such as additional cleaning and administrative work, difficulties in arranging crew changes often entailed longer work periods and contributed to higher levels of fatigue.…”

“…In addition to a higher workload from extra tasks such as additional cleaning and administrative work, difficulties in arranging crew changes often entailed longer work periods and contributed to higher levels of fatigue. Job insecurity and concerns about family and friends at home were additional stressors [8,56]. As noted above, being aware of the pressure experienced by colleagues may lead seafarers to lower their expectations concerning the availability of support.…”

“…Moreover, social support has been associated with enhanced in-role and extra-role performance of individuals and teams [1,4,5]. Facilitating individual and collective coping with stressful situations and experiences, social support is a vital source of resilience in the face of both everyday job demands and unexpected adversities [6][7][8][9].…”

“…Seafaring is a context where social support from colleagues may be especially salient, as seafarers may live and work together for months at a time, often with limited contact with families and friends ashore [18]. In this situation, social support from fellow crew members becomes vital for seafarers' well-being and their ability to cope with job demands and crises [8,19].…”