open access
Seafarers’ mental health in the COVID-19 era: lost at sea?
Affiliations- ORPHY Laboratory, University Brest, Brest, France
- Occupational and Environmental Diseases Centre, Teaching Hospital, Brest, France
- French Society for Maritime Medicine, Brest, France
- Psychology Unit for Seamen, Psychiatry Service Hospital, St. Nazaire, France
- Centre of Maritime Health and Society, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
- Laboratoire d’Etude et de Recherche en Sociologie (EA 3149), Université de Brest – Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France
- Seamen’s Health Service, Ministry of Transport, Paris-La Defense, France
open access
Abstract
Seafarers are exposed to several physical and psychosocial stressors. Recent studies highlighted specific disorders as fatigue, boredom and diseases as depression. Seafarers are also commonly exposed to post-traumatic stress disorder (piracy, accidents, threats). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts seafarers with an estimated 400,000 of whom are stranded on vessels around the world, with extended time on board, repatriation’s difficulties and the financial concerns of the unexpectedly unemployed. International Maritime Organization has established the Seafarer Crisis Action Team to help them. In France, in last 10 months a dedicated call centre received 142 calls from 32 seafarers for psychological phone consultations mostly linked to this era. With the increase of duration of the COVID-19 crisis, psychological health care, repatriations and financial solutions are needed for seafarers.
Abstract
Seafarers are exposed to several physical and psychosocial stressors. Recent studies highlighted specific disorders as fatigue, boredom and diseases as depression. Seafarers are also commonly exposed to post-traumatic stress disorder (piracy, accidents, threats). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts seafarers with an estimated 400,000 of whom are stranded on vessels around the world, with extended time on board, repatriation’s difficulties and the financial concerns of the unexpectedly unemployed. International Maritime Organization has established the Seafarer Crisis Action Team to help them. In France, in last 10 months a dedicated call centre received 142 calls from 32 seafarers for psychological phone consultations mostly linked to this era. With the increase of duration of the COVID-19 crisis, psychological health care, repatriations and financial solutions are needed for seafarers.
Keywords
maritime medicine, psychological impact, seafarers, COVID-19
About this articleTitle
Seafarers’ mental health in the COVID-19 era: lost at sea?
Journal
Issue
Article type
Short communication
Pages
138-141
Published online
2021-06-28
Page views
3359
Article views/downloads
2393
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
IMH 2021;72(2):138-141.
Keywords
maritime medicine
psychological impact
seafarers
COVID-19
Authors
David Lucas
Camille Jego
Olaf Chresten Jensen
Brice Loddé
Richard Pougnet
Jean-Dominique Dewitte
Thierry Sauvage
Dominique Jegaden
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