Navigating Human Risk in Maritime Operations: A Progressive Perspective on Mental Well-Being

Human error is a major player in maritime mishaps, accounting for about 80% of incidents. While the maritime sector prides itself on precision and discipline, safety ultimately hinges on the crew—their judgment, endurance, and ability to handle pressure. Recently, especially post-COVID-19, there’s been a growing focus on the well-being of mariners. though, our methods for evaluating risk haven’t evolved alongside this awareness.

Traditionally, the industry has leaned on standard mental health assessments like PHQ-9 for depression and GAD-7 for anxiety—tools designed for clinical environments that don’t quite fit life at sea. The maritime world demands long hours and high-stakes decisions amidst isolation; these conditions can affect not just mood but also cognitive abilities and situational awareness.

Most accidents aren’t caused by undiagnosed mental health issues but rather by fleeting lapses in judgment due to fatigue or stress.It’s not just about mental health; it’s about how operational pressures build up over time—leading to cognitive fatigue and emotional strain that ofen go unnoticed by conventional assessments yet are key contributors to errors at sea.

Understanding Situational Distress

Situational distress isn’t classified as a clinical condition; it’s more of an immediate response to workplace stressors. Studies indicate that while few seafarers begin their careers with serious psychological issues, many report increased distress symptoms as they face ongoing challenges like unpredictable weather or heavy workloads.

These situations often arise from accumulated stress rather than pre-existing conditions requiring psychiatric help. They need proactive measures instead of waiting until they escalate into chronic burnout or operational mistakes.

Unfortunately, most current assessments treat these stresses as personal problems rather than risks tied to operations. A captain might not show signs of clinical depression but could still be too fatigued to make sound decisions when it matters most—a nuance missed by traditional self-reported surveys but detectable through behavioral risk