News: Maritime UK launches the second Mental Health in Maritime Survey to coincide with World Mental Health Day

To coincide with World Mental Health Day, Maritime UK is launching its second Mental Health in Maritime survey, one year on from the first. The survey will analyse how employers support good mental health in the maritime sector and the findings will be published in February 2022.

Maritime UK is calling on business leaders to participate in the survey and sign up to the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge, which was established earlier this year.

The Mental Health in Maritime Network was launched as part of the Diversity in Maritime programme in May 2020. The Network provides members with a collaborative platform to share information and help each other achieve and develop mental health best practice. The Network also provides companies and individuals with relevant information about mental health resources, best practice guides and toolkits.

The Network’s first output was to launch the Mental Health in Maritime Benchmark survey in October 2020. The survey identified areas where the programme needs to focus its efforts to drive positive change. For instance, only 24% of people surveyed said that their organisation produced, implemented, and communicated a mental health at work plan.

The Benchmark survey prompted the launch of the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge in March 2021. This calls on senior executives to make clear their support for creating positive change within their respective organisations, and collectively, across the UK maritime sector.

By signing the Pledge, companies and other organisations in the sector will be making a public commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing for their workforce and will be asked to report against the Pledge. To date, it has been signed by over 70 leaders including the Maritime Minister, Robert Courts.

Chrissie Clarke, Head of Diversity and Operations at Maritime UK, said:

“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on mental health and wellbeing, especially at work. As we move into a post-COVID world, we must stand together and commit to improving the quality of mental health and wellbeing throughout the sector.

“World Mental Health Day provides is a perfect opportunity to join the 70+ executives who are signatories of the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge, and we look forward to more signatories signing up.”

Stu Pollard, Chair, Mental Health in Maritime Network and Director of H&S – Resilience at Arcadis, said: 

“As people come back into the workplaces, we need to remember that some have been at work and on vessels throughout the Pandemic.  As leaders, we must start to ask difficult questions; Have we done enough for our employees, have we helped encourage conversations and help reduce the stigma of mental health and illness? Have we engaged positively with people and provided information and support that is accessible to all? Well, it is time to stop wondering if and start acting to make it a reality. Let’s see where we are as a sector and where we can improve by completing the survey which is based on the Thriving at Work report by Stephenson and Farmer.

Maritime Minister, Robert Courts said:

“The last 18 months have been some of the most challenging our sector has ever faced and it’s now more important than ever that we stop and check in on those around us. 

“I’m extremely proud of the work MaritimeUK has done to tackle this challenge head on through the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge and the launch of their survey and I look forward to continuing working with the sector to promote this further and champion better mental health.”