Suicide Prevention Month: Breaking the Silence at Sea
By Fatma Nur Yalçinkaya
Life at sea requires resilience. Seafarers routinely work in environments shaped by long periods away from home, demanding schedules, limited privacy, fatigue, isolation and significant operational responsibility. The ability to remain calm and continue performing under pressure is an essential part of maritime professionalism.
Yet this culture of endurance can have another side. When psychological distress becomes difficult to manage, the expectation to remain strong may make it harder for a seafarer to acknowledge that they are struggling, and even harder to tell someone else.
During Suicide Prevention Month, this deserves particular attention. Silence should not be mistaken for resilience.
When distress remains invisible.
Suicide remains a major global public health concern. More than 720,000 people die by suicide every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and suicide is the third leading cause of death globally among people aged 15–29.
Behind these figures are many more people experiencing suicidal thoughts or reaching a point of psychological crisis without those around them being aware.
This is particularly relevant in maritime environments because psychological distress is not always visible.
A seafarer experiencing serious emotional difficulties may still report for duty, complete daily tasks, communicate with colleagues and appear to function normally. When asked how they are doing, the answer may simply be: “I’m fine.”
Research suggests that this hidden burden exists within the seafaring population. A major Seafarer Mental Health Study conducted by Yale University and supported by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust surveyed 1,572 working seafarers. Approximately one quarter screened positive for depression, while around 20% reported recent thoughts of being better off dead or self-harm.
These findings do not mean that every seafarer experiencing psychological distress is suicidal. They do, however, demonstrate why mental health concerns at sea should never be dismissed as an individual matter that someone is simply expected to manage alone.
Stigma can delay the conversation that matters.
The WHO identifies stigma surrounding mental health and suicide as a significant barrier to help-seeking. People experiencing suicidal thoughts may avoid seeking support precisely because they fear how disclosure will be perceived.
Within maritime environments, this can take specific forms.
A seafarer may worry about being considered weak or unreliable, losing the confidence of colleagues, being treated differently onboard, or experiencing professional consequences. Living and working with the same people for extended periods can also create concerns about confidentiality.
As a result, distress may remain unspoken until it becomes significantly more severe.
This is why changing the narrative around suicide is not simply about encouraging people to “speak up.” It is also about creating an environment in which speaking up feels safe.
A psychologically safe vessel is one where asking for support is treated as responsible behaviour rather than professional weakness; where managers and senior officers know how to respond to signs of distress; and where confidential professional support is accessible before a situation reaches crisis point.
Suicide prevention is also a maritime safety issue.
In shipping, safety depends on people.
Safe operations require attention, communication, sound judgement, situational awareness and the ability to respond effectively under pressure. When a crew member is experiencing severe psychological distress, these capacities may be affected — particularly when distress exists alongside fatigue, sleep disruption, isolation or other occupational pressures.
For this reason, mental health cannot be separated entirely from the broader safety culture onboard.
Supporting a seafarer who is struggling is first and foremost about protecting a human life. But effective suicide prevention also contributes to a working environment where crew members can communicate concerns earlier, look out for one another and access professional support before difficulties escalate.
Just as the maritime industry works to identify physical and operational hazards before they result in an emergency, psychological risks deserve the same preventive mindset.
We should not wait for a crisis to start a conversation.
This Suicide Prevention Month, the message for our industry is clear: reducing stigma, encouraging early help-seeking and making confidential mental health support accessible are not only matters of wellbeing.
They are part of building a safer culture at sea.
References
World Health Organization. (2026). Suicide – Fact Sheet.World Health Organization. (2025). Suicide worldwide in 2021: Global health estimates.World Health Organization. (2024–2026). World Suicide Prevention Day: Changing the Narrative on Suicide.Lefkowitz, R. Y., & Slade, M. D. (2019). Seafarer Mental Health Study. Yale University / ITF Seafarers’ Trust.