Indonesia’s future seafarers’ will be better equipped to deal with the psychological stresses and strains of maritime work after a landmark agreement between Indonesia and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
Train the trainer
After signing the first agreement of its kind with the Indonesian government in March this year, the ITF and its affiliate the Indonesian Seafarers’ Union (‘Kesatuan Pelaut Indonesia’ – KPI) led six batches of ‘train the trainer’ sessions at Indonesian maritime academies – enabling 200 instructors, lecturers and government officials to better understand the mental health issues and stresses faced by seafarers.
Government circular
Now, a government circular has mandated the mental health curriculum for all public and private maritime academies throughout Indonesia – one of the world’s top five providers of merchant marine ratings and officers.
Replicated in other countries
ITF Global Wellbeing Program Coordinator, Dr Syed Asif Altaf, said: “This is a hugely significant agreement which we hope we can see replicated in other countries so that all seafarers can be happier and healthier in their jobs.
“Seafarers’ wellbeing is, thankfully, increasingly well understood. The ITF’s landmark research on seafarer wellbeing very clearly showed that too many seafarers, particularly cadets, suffer from mental ill health.
“We have a moral obligation to do much more to help seafarers – they are the keyworkers of the global economy, and what helps them can also help all of us.”
ITF Seafarer’s Trust
In 2019, the ITF Seafarer’s Trust and Yale University released the ‘Seafarer Mental Health Study’. Among its survey-based findings were that 25% of surveyed seafarers had scores suggesting depression, 17% suggesting anxiety, with 20% of surveyed seafarers reporting suicidal ideation.
One of the report’s recommendations was that “maritime training institutes should address seafarers’ mental health issues and train for resilience”.
Mental Health Management
The Memorandum of Understanding between the ITF and Indonesian government established cooperation in the ‘Training of the Trainer on Mental Health Management for Seafarers’. It led to the provision of a course entitled, “Mental Health and Stress: Understanding, Early Management and Coping”.
Seafarer mental health
KPI General Secretary, I Dewa Nyoman Budiasa, said: ““A collaboration at this scale to cover all the maritime academies in Indonesia clearly shows the Indonesian government’s commitment to focusing on seafarer mental health. It also fulfills a commitment to addressing the issue that our members at KPI demanded at our last national congress.
Dangers of stress
“We know cadets and young seafarers are the most at risk from the dangers of stress, and studies show that suicides are highest in those groups. So, while we will continue to develop resources for all our members, we wanted to begin with those most vulnerable so that they can have long careers as happy and healthy seafarers.”
The program has been so successful in the country that the government has expressed interest in expanding it to all other academies training workers across all transport sectors.
