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Mental Health Awareness Week 2025: Strength in Community Offshore & Beyond

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, we’re encouraged to reflect on this year’s powerful theme: Community. For those of us working offshore, this message couldn’t be more relevant. Whether you’re on a vessel, rig, or remote site, the nature of our work means being away from home, family, and the familiar comforts of daily life for extended periods. In these conditions, community becomes not just important, it becomes essential.

Why Community Matters Offshore

Working offshore presents a unique set of challenges. Long rotations, isolation, unpredictable weather, and the constant balancing act of mental and physical endurance. Amidst all this, it’s the people around us, our crew, teammates, and shipmates who help carry us through.

Your team isn’t just your professional network, they become:

  • your support system when the job gets tough,
  • your sounding board when stress builds up,
  • and your family when you’re far from your own.

Building a strong, healthy offshore community isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about everyday moments that create connection— sharing meals, starting the day with a quick check-in, or taking a walk around the deck with a mate who’s had a rough shift. These simple acts can have a big impact.

“You don’t have your usual support network offshore—so the team becomes your community. That connection makes all the difference.”

The Foundations of an Offshore Community

Creating a supportive environment offshore doesn’t happen overnight, and we all play a part. Great offshore communities are built on:

  • Mutual respect – valuing the role each person plays, regardless of title or background.
  • Shared responsibility – looking out for one another, not just on the job, but emotionally too.
  • Check-ins that matter – asking “How are you?” and meaning it.
  • Open conversations – reducing stigma around mental health by normalising it as part of our daily dialogue.

Mental health doesn’t always come with a warning sign. Some people might withdraw, become irritable, or go quiet. Others might cover it up with banter or humour. Being part of a strong offshore community means tuning in to those changes, asking thoughtful questions, and offering a listening ear without judgement.

If you’re going through a tough time, know that you’re not alone, and support is closer than you think. Speak up if you can. And if you’re in a good place, be the person who checks in. You never know the difference that one conversation can make.

Mental health is a shared responsibility. Let’s use this week as a reminder not just to raise awareness, but to strengthen the culture we create offshore. Let’s continue to build teams that care, crews that communicate, and communities that support each other. When we look after each other, we all thrive.

Free Mental Health Resources for Offshore Workers

Wherever you are, onshore or at sea, support is available. Here are some free, confidential services designed specifically for offshore and maritime workers:

  1. Togetherall (via Seafarers Hospital Society)
  • An anonymous peer-support platform with 24/7 access to trained mental health professionals.
  • Visit Togetherall
  1. Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS)
  1. ISWAN Resources
  1. The Mission to Seafarers
  • Offers practical wellbeing resources and strategies for creating a supportive on-board culture.
  • View resources
  1. ITF Wellbeing Facebook Support Group
  • A peer-led support community for seafarers and offshore workers to share experiences and offer support.
  • Join the group
  1. WeCare Programme – The Mission to Seafarers
  • An e-learning programme focusing on mental health awareness, financial wellbeing, and social media literacy, designed specifically for seafarers.
  • Visit website
  1. Step Change in Safety – Mental Health Awareness
  • Provides resources and guidance to promote mental health awareness within the offshore oil and gas industry, including films and best practice documents.
  • Learn More

Paid Mental Health Resources for Offshore Workers

  1. SupportRoom (via Precise Consultants)
  • SupportRoom offers digital therapy services tailored for offshore workers, providing access to licensed therapists through a secure online platform. The service includes personalised therapy sessions, a digital resource library, and self-help tools. Precise Consultants has partnered with SupportRoom to offer these services at a discounted rate for offshore professionals.
  • Visit Website
  1. Integrity HSE – Onsite Mental Health First Aid Training
  • Integrity HSE provides Qualsafe-accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training directly on offshore installations. These sessions are designed to equip personnel with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health issues among colleagues, fostering a proactive approach to mental wellbeing offshore.
  • Learn More
  1. ROC Health Services – Occupational Health Support
  • ROC Health Services offers comprehensive occupational health solutions for the offshore industry, including mental health support as part of their Topside contracts. Their services encompass mental health assessments and ongoing support, integrated with physical health evaluations to ensure holistic care for offshore workers.
  • Explore Services
  1. Edu-c8 – Mental Health Training for Offshore Workers
  • Edu-c8 provides specialised mental health training programmes tailored for offshore environments. Their courses focus on recognising the unique stressors faced by offshore workers and offer strategies to manage mental health effectively. Training options include Mental Health First Aid and resilience workshops.
  • Explore Courses