Sailors’ Society strengthens support for Chinese maritime community through Wellness at Sea training
Sailors’ Society is strengthening its engagement with the Chinese maritime sector through a series of training sessions focused on crew wellbeing, mental health awareness, and practical onboard support.
Programme Manager Gavin Lim travelled to China to meet with maritime companies and seafarers, promoting the charity’s Wellness at Sea programme and highlighting its 24/7 support services, available to seafarers worldwide.
Sara Baade, CEO of the global maritime welfare charity, said: “We were delighted to be able to give the Chinese maritime community a hands-on introduction to the concept of Sailors’ Society’s Circle of Care and show how we can equip seafarers and maritime leaders with practical tools to better manage the mental health challenges commonly experienced during life at sea”.
During the China visit, Gavin Lim met with management teams and seafarers from several leading maritime organisations, including Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, where he delivered a three-hour Psychological First Aid training session to management staff at their Shenzhen Office in advance of a wider adoption for senior crew members.
Gavin said: “The session focused on connecting general mental health awareness with actionable support strategies that could be applied onboard and ashore. Feedback from attendees indicated the content was highly relevant and practical for maritime operations.”
Gavin also delivered the session to senior officers, junior officers, and management staff as part of an ongoing three-day Human Factors training programme at Seaspan in Shanghai. Here the sessionlinked Psychological First Aid principles to Performance Influence Factors (PIFs) commonly assessed during inspections, helping officers understand the operational relevance of mental wellbeing and peer support.
Gavin said: “Discussions during the session highlighted cultural factors affecting mental health conversations within the maritime sector, including stigma and concerns around ‘saving face’, particularly among older seafarers. Younger officers were notably more open to discussing mental health and support strategies. Participants described the training as useful in helping them connect mental health awareness with practical steps to support colleagues on board.”
Sailors’ Society also engaged with 55 senior officers attending a multi-day leadership and organisational training programme hosted by Zodiac Maritime in Xiamen.
The group included Chinese, Filipino, and Indian officers, reflecting the multinational nature of today’s shipping workforce, and the session focused on the relationship between psychological support, leadership responsibilities, and increasing operational pressures resulting from evolving inspection standards.
The session prompted open discussions among officers, many of whom shared firsthand experiences and real-life crew welfare challenges faced onboard.
Speaking after the visit, Gavin reflected: “Positive feedback was also received from Zodiac Maritime’s senior operational team.”
Sara Baade added: “These conversations in China demonstrated a genuine willingness to better understand mental health challenges at sea and to equip officers and managers with practical ways to support their people.”
The engagement with China forms part of Sailors’ Society’s ongoing commitment to supporting seafarers globally and working alongside shipping companies to build healthier, safer, and more resilient maritime workplaces.
Last year, the charity launched the translation of Sailors’ Society’s My Wellness e-learning platform, funded by Valles Steamship Company, Limited and Wah Kwong facilitated the translation of the Society’s free Awareness Campaign material.
Alongside training, Sailors’ Society also provides round-the-clock emotional and practical support through its 24/7 helpline and chaplaincy services, ensuring seafarers and their families can access confidential assistance whenever needed, regardless of location or time zone.
Wellness at Sea includes Psychological First Aid training, resilience-building workshops, peer-support guidance, and wellbeing resources designed specifically for multicultural shipboard environments.
