Ishaya, N., & Ayman, R. (2008).

Predicting Work-family Conflict via Percieved

Involvement and Overload. Boston: American Psychological Association.

The integration of the Indian economy with the world economy during the last

two decades has brought about great changes in the work schedules of the employees.

Most of the sectors are moving away from the standard eight-hour a day work

schedule and this is more so in the case of service sector. In almost all sectors,

employees are compelled to work on holidays and Sundays to meet their work

targets. Moreover, there is a changing pattern in the working hours which is quite

different from the standard one, which normally operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Increasing workloads have pressurised employees to demonstrate their commitment

to work in more obvious ways (Ishaya and Ay-man, 2008).

books, journals, DISSERTATIONS AND THESES, REPORTS(Venkatesh, S. (2016). ICICI Bank takes two
steps to foster women's career goals. Forbes India, March, 7, NEWSPAPERS  Bhattacharya, S. (2018).
Why a ban on post-work emails from bosses to employees may be unrealistic for India Inc . Economic
Times, September 15. Websites

World Health Organization (WHO) defines “health as a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity” and also include the ability
to lead a “socially and economically productive life” . WHO, farther clarifies the mental health
as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to her or his community” (Constitution of WHO, 1946). It shows that mental
conditions have been recognised as one of the most important dimension of health and well-
beings of every individual.

According to the UK P&I Club, as a career seafarers are second most at risk from suicide.
Seafarers young age, isolation and the impact of social media were all cited as factors. It was
noted that there were constantly reports of younger crew onboard, who were not experienced –
“these are the people most at risk of mental health issues”. The result of mental health issues
among seafarers is that suicide is the highest cause of fatalities at sea, accounting for 15% of
deaths (Seatrade Maritime, 2017).   
Maritime transport is essential to the world’s economy as over 90% of the world’s trade is
carried by sea. The maritime industry is considered to be the most globalised of all industries and
as such also the most precarious (Maritime 2050, 2019).

Seafarers live and work under more challenging conditions than most of us. They are exposed to
an environment that stays with them 24/7 for the duration of their tenure on board the vessel.
Gard’s data from 2010 to 2019, there is a declining trend in the number of deaths due to injuries
and illness. However, for mental illness and suicide, the numbers have remained somewhat
unchanged (Gard Insight,2019).

Factors associated with seafarer illness included seafarer gender, vessel type, and workplace
culture. Various studies have demonstrated that working while depressed is associated with
injury that might lead to repatriation. (Lefkowitz RY, Slade MD, Redlich CA, 2015) and
(Rafael Y. Lefkowitz, Martin D. Slade, Carrie A. Redlich, 2015).

Seafarers already have Internet facilities at home and are aware of the opportunities that its use
can generate. However they are also aware that once on-board a ship and at sea, using the
Internet takes on a different dimension due to technical constraints and company policies.
Internet plays a significant part in keeping seafarers in touch with family and friends. E-mail
facilities enable seafarers to remain part of the family even when away at sea (Davies, A.J. and
Parfett, M.C, 1998).

Building positive relationships with others is important for our wellbeing. Being away at sea can
also make it difficult to access support.  For seafarers working away from home for long periods,
it can be difficult to remain in close contact with family and friends, so the opportunity to
connect with other seafarers can be a major benefit (ISWAN).

Today, connectivity is about more than just social media and web surfing. It is increasingly a
prerequisite to function in daily life. The ability to connect is becoming the default setting.
Messaging apps and platforms which allowed video calls have become critical to maintaining
intimate relations with family members, across sometimes large geographical distances. The
ability to see people, especially children, through video calls is considered to be the most
important aspect of digital connectivity (Dr Rikke Bjerg Jensen, Dr Olivia Swift, 2018).

Access to onboard connectivity is increasingly becoming a deciding factor in whether ‘young

and talented individuals’. Want to spend their lives at sea, and whether shipping companies are
able to retain experienced and highly qualified seafarers. The research revealed that a growing
number of people were moving to companies which were seen to provide “better” internet
facilities; often driven by perceptions and rumours about the levels of connectivity on other ships
(Dr Rikke Bjerg Jensen, Dr Olivia Swift, 2018).
   Constitution of WHO (1946). International health conference
 Seatrade Maritime (2017, May 18). Suicide the top causes of seafarers deaths. Retrieved
from www.seatrade-maritime.com
 Gard Insight (2019, October 24). Mental Health and Seafarers: It's time to talk. Retrieved
from www.gard.no.com
 Lefkowitz RY, Slade MD, Redlich CA. (2015). Injury, illness, and disability risk in
American seafarers. American journal of industrial medicine.
 Rafael Y. Lefkowitz, Martin D. Slade, Carrie A. Redlich. (2015). Risk factors for
merchant seafarer repatriation due to injury or illness at sea. Yale Occupational and
Environmental Medicine
 Davies, A. J. And Parfett, M. C. (1998). Seafarers and The Internet - E-mail and
Seafarers Welfare. Cardiff: SIRC
 Dr Rikke Bjerg Jensen, Dr Olivia Swift (2018). Navigating everyday connectivities at
sea. Royal Holloway University of London.
 Maritime 2050 (2019). Navigating the future. Department for Transport
 International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN). Retrieved from
www.seafarers.welfare.org.

Hey, hope you're having a good day.

This research study that I am conducting as a part of my dissertation for sem 5 in st.xavier's
college which aims to study the role

I'm conducting this survey as a part of my Management Research project

At sea it's about how little a person needs, not how much. Seafarers live and work under more
challenging conditions than most of us. They are exposed to an environment that stays with them
24/7 for the duration of their tenure on board the vessel. Thus it becomes increasingly important
to understand the factors related to it.

I'm conducting this survey as a part of my research project in St..Xavier's college that aims to
understand the factors related to the mental health of seafarers.

It would be a great help if you could take out a few minutes of your time.