The maritime industry must confront and end the longstanding stigma surrounding mental health. With research from Harvard Medical School showing that half the global population will experience a mental health challenge, the issue is universal, not isolated. Yet mental health conditions are still seen as shameful, especially in industries such as maritime, where physical toughness is valued, and emotional struggles are downplayed.
Mental health issues don’t have to be extreme to require attention. Proactively addressing concerns before they escalate into crises is crucial. At VIKAND, we’ve seen firsthand that mental health care for seafarers should be as routine as physical checkups and blood tests. By integrating mental health into preventive wellness plans, the maritime industry can support workers’ overall well-being and long-term productivity.
The maritime sector is burdened by a deep-rooted cultural reluctance to discuss mental and emotional health. Historically, seafaring has been a male-dominated profession, shaped by a “stiff upper lip” mindset that discourages vulnerability, with emotional struggles seen as weaknesses, and this attitude remains pervasive.
The stigma creates a culture of avoidance, where performance is the focus, and psychological well-being is often ignored.
This emphasis on performance is a major barrier, forcing crew members to suppress their mental health struggles to avoid disrupting operations. As a result, many suffer in silence, and their mental health declines, jeopardising both personal and team well-being.
Many maritime operators have been slow to invest in preventive mental health care, viewing it as an unnecessary cost because they don’t see immediate financial returns.
This short-sighted view ignores the clear benefits of proactive care and while physical injuries are addressed immediately, mental health challenges are often dismissed, even though they can have equally severe impacts on productivity, retention, and morale. In other sectors, investing in mental health has proven to boost business outcomes, and maritime could reap similar rewards.
The maritime industry is currently facing an unsustainable crisis of stress and burnout. Ships are often understaffed and overworked, and turnover is high, contributing to a shrinking labour pool. This crisis was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which further highlighted the need for mental health support as seafarers endured prolonged periods of isolation and stress.
At the same time, younger workers entering the maritime workforce are demanding change and expect workplaces to prioritise mental health and will not tolerate outdated attitudes. If the industry doesn’t adapt, it risks losing talented seafarers who seek environments where their well-being is valued.
Addressing these issues requires a major cultural shift as diagnoses such as burnout and ADHD have only been recognised in recent decades, and we are just beginning to understand how mental health impacts performance.
Shifting the maritime industry’s mindset won’t happen overnight. Like redirecting a ship, change will be slow and deliberate, driven by conversations at every level, from crew members to executives. But this shift is necessary for the long-term sustainability of the industry.
The solution starts with leadership and maritime operators must treat mental health as a vital business investment. If companies signal to workers that mental health care is essential, seafarers will take it seriously too, and this shift could dramatically improve worker satisfaction, reduce turnover, and enhance overall performance.
The maritime industry has two choices. It can continue with outdated practices, or it can embrace a healthier future by making preventive mental health care a priority. Just as we maintain machinery to prevent breakdowns, we must prioritise mental health to ensure the care of our workforce.
