Resilience, lifestyle, and health outcomes in maritime personnel: A pilot investigation in Taiwan

Background

Seafarers on long-distance merchant vessels operate in high-pressure and unique offshore environments, facing significant physical and mental health challenges. This study aims to explore the role of psychological resilience within this specific occupational group and its association with health outcomes.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was employed using convenience sampling for an anonymous online survey among maritime personnel aged 18 years and older. Self-reported data collected from September to December 2025 included the following: (1) demographics; (2) work characteristics; (3) general health status; (4) mental health; and (5) health behaviors. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression to adjust for confounding factors and identify key determinants of health risks.

Results

A total of 217 maritime personnel was enrolled in the study. After adjusting for covariates, individuals with low resilience exhibited higher risk of depression (OR = 7.69; 95% CI = 2.13–37.84). Furthermore, lower resilience was significantly associated with increased risks of poor sleep quality (OR = 3.24; 95% CI = 1.40–7.84) and poor dietary quality (OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.01–3.46). Lower self-perceived health status was significantly associated with increased risks of hyperlipidemia (OR = 7.03; 95% CI = 11.58–36.39). Furthermore, participants with poorer mental health or sleep quality reported greater difficulties in job execution and family communication, higher perceived stress, poorer self-rated health, more unmet health needs, and lower engagement in regular exercise.

Conclusions

Poor psychological resilience was associated with worse emotional well-being and poorer health behaviors of maritime personnel. It is recommended that future intervention strategies focus on enhancing resilience, potentially integrating digital health monitoring tools to establish an integrated model for mental support and health intervention.

Key messages

• Poor psychological resilience is a critical factor that significantly associated with risks of depression, poor sleep, and unhealthy dietary habits among maritime personnel.

• Future maritime health strategies may integrate resilience-building with digital monitoring to address the unique occupational stressors and health disparities of seafarers.