For years, mental health at sea has been a growing concern. Only recently has it begun to receive broader attention from the media, from other crew members and, gradually, from industry stakeholders. This is progress, but it is not enough. Awareness is just a first stepping stone on the path to change.

What concerns me is that the industry’s approach to mental health remains largely reactive.

Conversations flourish after an incident, when a tragedy forces reflection and temporary focus. Yet real prevention, consistent support and sustained investment remain rare. Too often, interventions are designed to satisfy compliance or public perception rather than to improve crew wellbeing in a meaningful, lasting way. The issue is not compliance itself, but the way it is often approached – as an obligation to meet minimum standards rather than as a framework for continuous improvement.

If companies only act when required to, then regulation becomes not a burden, but a necessary catalyst. History shows that systemic change often begins when external accountability forces internal reflection. Over time, compliance will evolve from box-ticking into a true cultural shift where wellbeing becomes part of operational excellence rather than an afterthought.

Even as regulations and guidelines become more visible, the discussion remains focused on describing the problem rather than solving it. We hear statistics, surveys and statements of concern, yet few tangible solutions that can be deployed at scale. Insurance bodies and large organisations acknowledge the issue, but practical frameworks for shipowners and operators still remain elusive.

Part of the challenge is perception. Mental health continues to be viewed as a cost, not an investment. Companies readily fund leadership development or performance training because those programmes are seen as tied to productivity and profit. But when it comes to mental resilience, counselling access or proactive wellbeing initiatives, the mindset shifts. Ethical care is still treated as optional – not essential.

This reveals something deeper about how people, especially crew members, are valued in the maritime system. For more than a decade, VIKAND has championed the idea that seafarers’ minds and bodies deserve the same preventive care as the ship itself. Genuine progress requires the maritime industry to replace reactive compliance with proactive care that protects crew members before harm occurs.

I believe lasting change in seafarer mental health will follow a path similar to that of environmental reform: not through goodwill alone, but through regulation. When accountability is built into policy, culture begins to evolve, and over time the pressure of compliance can mature into conviction.

Only then will our industry engage in a true culture of care – not because it is required, but because it is right.

In this edition of Pulse, learn how a timely telehealth intervention helped an officer improve his mental health, explore the high-stakes world of recruitment for maritime healthcare positions, see how much a ship can save in fuel costs with a simple HVAC upgrade, and more.