MHSS launches communication workshops for Filipino seafarers and families

Nicosia, Cyprus. Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS) has introduced specialist digital communication hygiene workshops for Filipino seafarers and their families, addressing psychological pressures associated with constant contact while crews are at sea.

Communication pressures at sea

MHSS, a member of OneCare Group, said improved internet access has enabled seafarers to stay in regular contact with loved ones during their contracts but has also created psychological pressures for which many families are unprepared.

Cyprus-based MHSS managing director Mariana Charalambous and clinical psychologist Karen Ibanez said problems at home increasingly follow crew members onboard.

The workshops are intended to help families develop healthier communication habits, identify issues requiring immediate discussion and recognise which concerns can wait until seafarers are able to respond.

Impact on crew wellbeing

The sessions also examine how sharing problems that cannot be resolved from onboard may unintentionally increase anxiety among seafarers working in safety-critical environments.

Ibanez said the issue was no longer a lack of communication but learning to communicate in ways that support mental wellbeing.

“Over the past decade, shipping has done an excellent job of improving connectivity at sea. Seafarers can now speak to their families far more regularly than previous generations ever could. That has brought enormous benefits, but we are also beginning to see some unintended consequences,” she said.

Ibanez said many seafarers receive messages about financial pressures, family disagreements, household problems and other personal concerns while they are thousands of miles from home.

“They are left carrying the emotional burden while continuing to perform demanding operational duties onboard,” she added.

Focus on better communication

Ibanez said the workshops were not intended to reduce contact between crew members and their families.

“Our workshops are not about encouraging families to communicate less. They are about helping them communicate better. The quality of conversations is often far more important than the quantity,” she said.

MHSS said the service will be rolled out to other countries in due course.