More young seafarers in the UK system are found temporarily unfit for sea because of their mental health. This comes from new figures of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Marine Insight reports.
The figures are about the ENG1. This is the medical certificate that every seafarer on a UK-flagged ship must have. Approved doctors in many countries, also in the Philippines, carry out ENG1 medicals.
A private clinic, The Health Suite, asked the MCA for the data under the UK Freedom of Information Act. The clinic then shared the results in a press release.
What the numbers show
The figures count "temporarily unfit" decisions. This means the seafarer cannot work at sea until a doctor checks them again. The data looks at decisions where "mood or affective disorders" were a reason. These are problems such as depression, low mood or anxiety.
Seafarers aged 16 to 24: 64 such decisions in 2025, up from 30 in 2024. That is more than double.
In 2026, there were already 58 such decisions in this age group from January to August.
All ages: 223 such decisions in 2025, up from 116 in 2024.
Seafarers aged 16 to 34 made up 123 of the 223 decisions in 2025.
Other reasons also grew from 2024 to 2025. Vision problems went from 159 to 280 decisions, and heart problems from 185 to 284.
One seafarer can have more than one reason in a decision. So the numbers count reasons, not people.
The MCA's own ENG1 report for 2025 gives the wider picture. Over 55,000 ENG1 medicals were done in 2025. About 5% of seafarers were found temporarily unfit, and less than 1% permanently unfit. The most common reasons were obesity, high blood pressure and mild mood problems.
Dr Asiya Maula of The Health Suite said a career at sea means long time away from family and friends. She said this can be hard in the first years at sea. She also said a temporarily unfit decision is not the end of a career. It is a chance to get help before going back to work.
Many reviews change the decision
You can ask for a review of an ENG1 decision. An independent medical referee then looks at your case. This is a doctor chosen by the UK government.
According to The Health Suite, 124 decisions went to a referee from January 2024 to August 2026. In 73 of them, or 59%, the decision was changed. The MCA report says 33 of 48 decisions were changed in 2025. It also says a changed decision is not always a better result for the seafarer. It can be a different restriction.
Young crews and mental health have come up often this year. Read about the ITF campaign for mental health on ship visits. Also read the report on tired crews and poor mental health.
What to do if your ENG1 medical is a problem
If you feel low or anxious for a long time, talk to your own doctor early, before your next medical. Keep a record of any treatment. Dr Maula says this helps when you are checked again.
Ask the approved doctor to explain the decision. You get a form called ENG3 (Notice of Failure/Restriction). It says which medical standard was the reason.
You can ask for a review in three cases: permanently unfit, temporarily unfit for more than three months, or fit only for restricted service. The rules are in the MCA notice MSN 1887.
There is no review for temporary unfitness of three months or less. In that case, you wait and see the doctor again.
To ask for a review, fill in the application part of the ENG3 form. Send it to the MCA Medical Administration Team within one month of the ENG3 date. Do not contact a referee yourself.
The MCA pays for the review and for any specialist reports the referee asks for. You pay your own travel to the appointment.
The referee usually decides within two months. Send any extra medical letters to the referee before your appointment.
The list of referees is on the MCA independent medical referees page.
If you need someone to talk to now, free seafarer help lines are on the Crewboard useful links page.
Cover photo: the container ship MSC Laurence with a tug at the Port of Felixstowe, UK, in October 2025. The photo is illustrative. Photo: Amanda Slater, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: Marine Insight, 31 Oct 2026: Mental health factors in seafarers' failed medicals double among under-25s, UK MCA: ENG1 annual report 2025, UK MCA: MSN 1887 (M) Amendment 1, MLC 2006 medical certification (section 11, review), UK MCA: Independent medical referees.
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