Work-related stress at sea self estimation by maritime students and officers

Abstract

People working at sea experience stress connected with their specific work conditions, high job responsibility and psychosocial factors, which generate health and psychological problems. The self-evaluation of mental strain related to the work at sea was arranged for Maritime Academy students and for merchant marine officers. Two study groups were examined: 30 students of the Mechanical Faculty of the Maritime Academy (MA) in Gdynia, of the mean age 22.7 years, and 30 seamen, i.e. deck officers and ship's engineers, of the mean age 47.2 years, with a minimum 15-year period of service at sea. For the assessment of work-related stress level, the "Work-Related Stress--Subjective Work Evaluation Questionnaire" was used. Comparing to the officers with a long period of service at sea, the students were more vulnerable to stress at work, and this was attributed to: social relations, physical onerousness, the lack of control, and the lack of support. The programme of psychological training, aimed at supporting the personal competence, was proposed as a preventive intervention.