JEMS Maritime Sci. Ahead of Print: JEMS-37097

Mental Health Risks and Protective Personality Traits among Multinational Seafarers

Fatih Sana¹, Ersan Baþar^2
1Department of Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering, Ordu University, Ordu, Türkiye
²Department of Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Türkiye

The maritime profession is characterized by high psychosocial stress and isolation, posing significant risks to the mental health of seafarers. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of psychological symptoms among a large multinational sample of seafarers using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) scale. Personality traits were measured with the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), and statistical analyses including exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to examine the factor structure and relationships with symptoms. Based on these analyses, a population-specific two-factor personality model—Ideal Personality (I-P) and Balanced Social Personality (BSP)—was identified, with BSP showing a strong protective effect across all symptom domains. In addition to assessing common symptoms such as depression (DEP) (27.2%), anxiety (ANX) (15.8%), obsessive-compulsive disorders (O-C) (33.1%), and paranoid ideation (PAR) (32.3%), Turkish and Generation Z participants reported higher symptom levels, while better onboard social and nutritional facilities, as well as positive onboard relationships, were associated with lower symptoms and higher BSP scores. These findings underscore that seafarers’ mental health is shaped by demographic, occupational, and personality factors, suggesting that interventions should address both environmental conditions and individual differences to enhance resilience. By providing empirical evidence on both risk and protective factors, this study informs the development of targeted mental health policies and support mechanisms within the maritime sector.

Keywords: Seafarer, Mental Health, SCL-90-R, Personality Traits, Confirmatory Factor Analysis

---

CITE