Evaluation of Adolescents Applying to a Training and Research Hospital for a Seafarer Health Board Report

Authors : Yüksel Sümeyra Naralan, Merve Yazıcı, Uğur Tekeoğlu

Pages : 16-25

View : 21 | Download : 38

Publication Date : 2025-05-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aim: Seafarers under 18 years old undergo annual periodic health examinations by the Seafarers\\\' Health Directive and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 77 concerning the Medical Examination for Fitness for Employment of Children and Young Persons. This study aims to highlight the mental health of adolescent seafarers by determining the sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses of adolescent patients evaluated for a seafarer health committee report at the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic. Methods: The study included 105 adolescents who applied to the Seafarer Health Committee for he first time. The sociodemographic and clinical data of the patients were obtained through a survey created by a child psychiatry specialist, which included personal information, psychiatric diagnoses, and fitness for seafaring. The current and past psychiatric diagnoses of the adolescents were determined using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS), a semi-structured interview method based on DSM-5. Results: Of the 105 cases included in the study, 97.1% (102) were male, and 2.9% (3) were female. The mean age was 13.8 ± 0.8 years. It was observed that 18.1% of the cases had a previous psychiatric referral, and 6.7% had used psychiatric medication before. It was found that 1.9% of the youth received a report stating they were unfit to be seafarers, and 13.3% needed to be monitored at intervals shorter than two years. Conclusion: The results obtained indicate that while there may have been psychiatric disorders in the past among adolescents in the context of seafaring, current psychiatric disorders do not have long-term negative effects on the ability to become a seafarer. The findings of this study could guide both child and adolescent mental health professionals and those developing preventive health policies in raising awareness about the mental health of young people working in the maritime sector.
Keywords : Gemi Adamı, Ergen, Sağlık Kurulu Raporu