Poor Sleep, Anxiety, Depression and Other Occupational Health Risks in Seafaring Population

Abstract

Background: Seafaring is an occupation with specific work-related risks, causing increased morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, the research in the area of marine students' sleep quality and mental health is lacking in Lithuania, as well as other European countries. The aim was to overview scientific findings, related with occupational health risks in a seafaring population and asses the frequency of poor sleep and the relations among poor sleep, anxiety and depression in the sample of maritime students. Methods and contingent. The scientific literature review, based on PubMed sources analysis, related to occupational health risks in seafaring population, was performed. Questionnaire survey was conducted in 2014 at The Lithuanian Maritime Academy, 393 (78.9 % of them males) students participated. Sleep quality was evaluated by Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. Anxiety and depression were assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Sociodemographic questions were used. The Chi-square test r Fisher exact test was used to estimate association between categorical variables. P- Values less than 0.05 were interpreted as statistically significant. Results: Scientific literature review indicates that highly stressful and exhausting working conditions on ships can lead to depression, insomnia, various types of cancer, cardiovascular, communicable, blood-born and sexually transmitted diseases. Poor sleep was found in 45.0 % of the students. Mild depression was established in 6.9 %, moderate in 2.3 %, Severe in 0.8 % of the students. Mild anxiety was found in 19.1 %, moderate in 14.8 % and Severe in 7.9 % of the students. Depression (score ≥8) was significantly more frequent among third (fourth) year students (22.2 %) with poor sleep, as compared to the students demonstrating good sleep (2.7 %). Marine engineering programme students whose sleep was poor more often had depression (22.0 %), as compared to the students whose sleep was good (5.7 %). Conclusions: Seafarers have higher hospitalization and mortality rates than age-matched peers, due to exposure to unique occupational health risk factors. Maritime students had poor sleep more than anxiety or depression. Anxiety and depression were more common among the students demonstrating poor sleep rather than good sleep.