Table 2.
Categories and themes identified from the interviews and the literature.
| Categories | Themes |
|---|---|
| Monetary support provided directly by companies | overtime/extended service bonus pay |
| increase in food allowances | |
| increase in recreational allowances | |
| COVID-19 specific support provided directly by companies | updates on crew change and COVID-19 information |
| facilitating timely crew changes | |
| provision of sufficient and high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE) for infection control | |
| Welfare & OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) support provided directly by companies | increase in Wi-Fi data allowances |
| provision of immediate family support | |
| outsourced professional counselling services | |
| *reduction of overtime hours | |
| *provision of mental health self-support videos, books, or other materials on board | |
| Mutual support provided by family and crew members (may need to be facilitated by company policy and support) | communication with family |
| group recreational activities | |
| a positive and collegial atmosphere on-board | |
| casual counselling or support among crewmembers | |
| Government vaccination policy support | being prioritized for vaccination |
| being vaccinated | |
| Support provided by welfare organisations | pastoral and spiritual care from port chaplains |
| *seafarers’ mental health helplines | |
| *seafarers’ mental health applications or ‘apps’ | |
| *Self-support | *physical exercise |
| *meditation |
Note: The categories and themes with an asterisk (*) mark are derived from the literature, and the remaining are from the interview data.