Don’t let stress become distress

Henrik Jensen examines the pressures on seafarers today

Seafaring is a demanding profession. Long periods away from home, irregular working hours, and the constant responsibility for safety place unique pressures on those who work at sea. The Danica Crewing Specialists Seafarer Survey for 2025 shows that these pressures are increasing, with more seafarers reporting stress, mental health challenges, and intentions to retire earlier than previous generations.

At the same time, the survey also highlights encouraging developments in welfare, training, and loyalty that point toward practical ways of making seafaring a more sustainable career.

The survey is based on responses from hundreds of seafarers worldwide, mainly from Eastern Europe and the Philippines. Their feedback offers an honest snapshot of life at sea today. While wages have largely stabilised and retention is improving, it is clear that the industry must continue to invest in people if it is to secure the future workforce it depends upon.

When discussing mental health, it is important to distinguish between being stressed and being in distress. Stress is a normal human condition; it is part of everyday life and a necessary response to challenge. It is why we breathe and why our hearts beat, and some level of stress is inevitable in a profession as demanding as seafaring.

Distress, however, is different. It is an abnormal mental condition in which stress becomes overwhelming, prolonged, and harmful, affecting mental health, decision-making, and safety on board. Understanding this difference allows companies to focus not on eliminating stress entirely, which is neither realistic nor desirable, but on preventing stress from developing into distress.

Over the years, our survey has shown a steady increase in reported mental health challenges and in 2025, a record 44% of seafarers reported suffering from stress, a significant increase compared with previous years. The number of seafarers who reported feeling mentally depressed during their last contract rose from 11% in 2023 to 16% in 2025 and while this question has only been included since 2023, the upward trend is already clear.

Operational pressures contribute strongly to these figures. In 2025, 37% of seafarers reported that they did not receive statutory rest in accordance with regulations, highlighting ongoing workload and fatigue issues. At the same time, 9% said they had worked in unsafe conditions, a figure similar to previous years. Since the 2024 survey, we have also asked whether seafarers were prevented from seeing a doctor while on board, recognising access to medical care as a vital part of both physical and mental wellbeing.

Practical support
At Danica, we believe that surveys must lead to action and one way we use these findings to support shipowners and seafarers is through a digital wellbeing app. Seafarers are invited to answer short questions about their wellbeing on a quarterly basis and these responses are fully anonymous, ensuring openness and trust.

While individual identities remain protected, the aggregated data allows us to see trends at vessel level and if concerning patterns emerge, we can raise these constructively with the captain and, where appropriate, with the shipowner. This enables early dialogue and targeted improvements before issues escalate into distress, safety concerns, or resignations.

Prevention also starts before a seafarer even joins a vessel as Danica offers online screening tools during recruitment to help identify whether new seafarers are already in distress or at risk of becoming so. Mental wellbeing is not static, however, as personal circumstances, family situations, and professional pressures change over time, and for this reason, assessments should be repeated annually, allowing companies to respond proactively and support seafarers throughout their careers.

While screening and monitoring are important, daily life on board remains one of the strongest influences on mental wellbeing. A friendly, inclusive, and supportive working environment can often prevent stress from becoming distress, and, in our experience, good leadership is the single most important factor in reducing stress and improving morale.

Senior officers must be able to lead multicultural teams, communicate clearly, and understand individual strengths and limitations. This is challenging in any organisation, but particularly at sea, where crews live and work together 24/7 in a confined space. Danica supports senior officers through access to leadership training, helping them manage people as well as operations.

Training other crew members to focus on inclusivity, teamwork, and peer support further strengthens morale. After all, a healthy onboard culture is not created by one person alone; it is a shared responsibility across the entire crew.

Responsibility also extends beyond the vessel as senior management within shipping companies plays a decisive role in shaping working environments through policies, planning, and company culture. A genuine commitment to welfare from the top is essential if onboard initiatives are to succeed.

Predictability is another key factor affecting stress levels and our survey feedback consistently shows that knowing when one will work, rest, and return home matters almost as much as pay. At Danica, crew planning is typically done six to nine months ahead whenever possible, and by doing this, seafarers can plan family life and personal commitments during leave. We also try to accommodate individual preferences for vacation length whenever operationally feasible.

Risk to experience
Early retirement is one of the most concerning trends revealed by the 2025 Danica survey. As many as 42% of seafarers expect to retire from sea before the age of 55, and 64% plan to retire before 60. Among senior ranks, these numbers are even higher, with 57% of captains and chief engineers expecting to stop sailing before 55.

The survey also reveals regional differences, with Filipino seafarers expressing a stronger desire to retire earlier than their European peers, reflecting a combination of cultural, economic, and family considerations.

These trends pose a serious risk to the industry, particularly given existing shortages of experienced officers, as losing senior competence too early affects safety, mentoring, and operational stability.

Retaining seafarers for longer requires making seafaring compatible with a sustainable lifestyle and Danica works primarily with high-tier shipping companies operating modern vessels and offering good working conditions, which in itself encourages longer careers. For senior officers, flexibility can make a decisive difference and, where possible, we support arrangements such as shorter contracts or longer vacation periods, allowing experienced professionals to remain at sea without compromising their wellbeing.

Despite the pressures highlighted in the survey, loyalty to employers is increasing and at Danica, we see trust as the foundation of this trend.

We honour the promises we make: salaries are paid on time, crews are relieved at the end of agreed tenures, and planning is done well in advance. Every seafarer has a dedicated crewing manager whom they can contact at any time, and modern communication tools and reliable internet access on board have made ongoing dialogue easier and more effective than ever before.

Helplines also play an important role, but they should be the last resource, not the primary solution. Too often, companies believe that providing a telephone number alone creates a healthy mental working environment; however in reality, wellbeing is built through leadership, predictability, inclusivity, and early intervention, not crisis response alone.

A sustainable path forward
The 2025 Danica Crewing Specialists Seafarer Survey highlights real challenges, but it also points clearly toward solutions. Rising stress levels and early retirement are not inevitable outcomes – early screening, continuous wellbeing monitoring, strong leadership, predictable planning, and flexible career structures mean that seafaring can remain a viable and rewarding long-term profession.

It’s true we’re seeing worrying signs around stress and early retirements but progress in welfare, training, and loyalty shows what is possible. Real change means supporting every aspect of a seafarer’s life at sea.

By working closely with both seafarers and shipowners, the maritime industry can protect its people, retain its experience, and secure its future workforce.