Work-Life Conditions as the Primary Determinant of Seafarer Mental Health: An Explainable Machine Learning Analysis.

Seafarer mental health has become an increasingly critical concern due to its substantial implications for transportation safety and operational performance. Traditional analytical approaches often inadequately capture the complex, non-linear interactions among the multidimensional determinants invo...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Inquiry (00469580) Vol. 63; pp. 1 - 16
Autores principales: Jiang, Yongwei, Tang, Zhendong, Liu, Hua, Cao, Wenjie, Zhao, Zhiwei, Uğurlu, Özkan, Wang, Xinjian
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. 4/13/2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=192982120&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: hlh
    uiTerm: 192982120
    longDbName: Humanities International Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        00469580
        INQ
      jtl: Inquiry (00469580)
      issn: 00469580
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: 4/13/2026
      vid: 63
      pid: 344
      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
    artinfo:
      ui:
        192982120
        10.1177/00469580261438708
      ppf: 1
      ppct: 15
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Work-Life Conditions as the Primary Determinant of Seafarer Mental Health: An Explainable Machine Learning Analysis.
      aug:
        au:
          Jiang, Yongwei
          Tang, Zhendong
          Liu, Hua
          Cao, Wenjie
          Zhao, Zhiwei
          Uğurlu, Özkan
          Wang, Xinjian
        affil:
          Dalian Maritime University, China
          Liverpool John Moores University, UK
          Ordu University, Turkey
      su:
        Mental illness risk factors
        Employee psychology
        Competency assessment (Law)
        Quality of work life
        Random forest algorithms
        Ships
        Prediction models
        Work environment
        Questionnaires
        Research evaluation
        Statistical reliability
        Psychological stress
        Machine learning
        Accuracy
        Industrial safety
        Evaluation
      sug:
        subj:
          Mental illness risk factors
          Employee psychology
          Competency assessment (Law)
          Quality of work life
          Random forest algorithms
          Ships
          Prediction models
          Work environment
          Questionnaires
          Research evaluation
          Statistical reliability
          Psychological stress
          Machine learning
          Accuracy
          Industrial safety
          Evaluation
      keyword:
        machine learning
        random forest
        seafarer mental health
        SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)
        stressors
        transportation safety
        work-life conditions
      ab: Seafarer mental health has become an increasingly critical concern due to its substantial implications for transportation safety and operational performance. Traditional analytical approaches often inadequately capture the complex, non-linear interactions among the multidimensional determinants involved. To bridge this gap, this study proposes an explainable machine learning (ML) framework that integrates a Random Forest classifier with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) for simultaneous prediction and interpretation. Based on a survey of 500 seafarers, 12 risk factors were preprocessed through label encoding and the dataset was split into training and test sets using stratified sampling. A Random Forest model, optimized via Bayesian hyperparameter tuning, was employed to predict psychological states, with performance evaluated through accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. SHAP analysis was then applied to quantify global feature importance and to examine individual prediction mechanisms and interaction effects. The results identify current work-life conditions as the most influential determinant, exhibiting a polarizing effect on psychological states that substantially outweighs other factors. Furthermore, favorable environmental conditions amplify the positive effects of career development and social recognition, whereas high onboard service pressure persistently undermines mental health even under otherwise optimal circumstances. These findings underscore the necessity of prioritizing systemic environmental improvements as a foundation for effective psychological interventions, suggesting that tailored support strategies should be implemented subsequent to such enhancements. This study provides a data-driven, interpretable framework to support precision mental health management in maritime operations. These findings advocate for maritime policymakers and shipping companies to prioritize systemic improvements in onboard living and working conditions as a foundational strategy, complemented by targeted psychological support and enhanced awareness of mental health services.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: Y
      dt:
        @attributes:
          year: 2026
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N