U.S. Mariner Mental Health Needs During COVID-19 Survey

The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) COVID-19 Working Group (C-19 WG)  encourages mariners from all segments of the U.S. maritime industry to take ten minutes to anonymously  complete the “Mariner Mental Health Needs during Covid-19” online survey at https://redcap.link/mariners. 

The confidential survey asks mariners a variety of questions about COVID-19, mental health, and their  experiences and feelings when aboard a vessel during the challenges of this worldwide pandemic. No mariner  identification data will be collected. Survey participation from a significant portion of the mariners in each  industry segment is critical to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their mental health. The survey is available from January 22 through May 31, 2021. 

Results from the survey will be shared with federal agencies, vessel owners/operators, mariner unions,  maritime training institutions, seafarer welfare organizations and MTS stakeholders to facilitate development  of effective solutions that benefit our mariners’ mental well-being. 

Mariner unions, vessel operators, vessel owners, mariner training institutions and industry associations are  requested to encourage and facilitate the prompt participation of their mariners in this survey. MTS  stakeholders are requested to widely distribute this announcement within the U.S. maritime industry. 

The survey is being conducted independently by Dr. Marissa Baker, Assistant Professor & Industrial Hygiene Program Director, University of Washington School of Public Health. Individual responses will be kept  confidential at the School. The survey allows mariners to skip any question which they do not wish to answer.  

This survey is supported by Centers for Disease Prevention & Control (CDC) and the COVID-19 Working Group (C-19 WG) of the federal interagency U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS). The C-19  WG serves as the CMTS forum for facilitating high-level interagency discussion, communication, and actions in  
support of the MTS under and after COVID-19. The C-19 WG has published the following resources for  mariners and the U.S. Marine Transportation System: 

• CMTS COVID-19 Working Group Nov 18, 2020 Webinar: COVID-19 Testing Strategies for U.S. Merchant  Mariners - Slides 
• Catalog of COVID-19 Federal Guidance and References for the U.S. Maritime Industry

• Catalog of COVID-19 Best Management Practices for the U.S. Maritime Industry 
• Catalog of Mental Health Resources for U.S. Merchant Mariners and Critical Workforce in the Marine Transportation System 

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) - whose members include vessel owners/operators, mariner  unions, maritime academies, maritime training institutions, classification societies, other maritime industry  stakeholders and government agencies - is also actively supporting this project to enhance the mental well being of U.S. mariners.