Over the past few weeks, a normally sociable crew member has become withdrawn, is eating alone, and seems to have lost interest in things they used to enjoy onboard. As a colleague, not a medical professional, what should you do?

A. Tell them directly that they need to "snap out of it" and get on with their job

B. Assume it is none of your business since you have no mental health training

C. Avoid the person, assuming they want to be left alone since they are withdrawing

D. You do not need to diagnose anything — simply noticing the change and checking in with a genuine, low-pressure conversation ("you seem quieter lately, how are you doing?") is a valuable and appropriate first step that anyone can take, regardless of rank or training

A. Tell them firmly that homesickness is not a real problem and they should simply focus on work

B. Promise to keep the conversation completely secret from everyone, including any officer, no matter what they tell you

C. Immediately tell the whole crew so everyone can keep an eye on them

D. Listen without judgement, acknowledge that this is a genuinely hard and common part of seafaring life, avoid minimising it ("everyone feels like that sometimes") or trying to fix it yourself, and gently suggest or help them access whatever support is available onboard (welfare officer, master, confidential helplines such as those run by seafarer welfare charities)

A. Seafarer welfare helplines charge a fee and are not realistically accessible to most crew

B. No support resources exist beyond talking to other crew members informally

C. Welfare support is only available once the ship reaches the next port

D. Many ships have access to free, confidential helplines run by seafarer welfare charities (such as ISWAN's SeafarerHelp, available 24/7 in multiple languages), as well as the ship's designated welfare contact, internet/communication access to family where available, and TMAS-style telemedical advice in more serious cases