Training the modern supervisor means teaching mental health too
July 2025
We expect frontline leaders to know their operations inside out. But when it comes to mental health, many are left without tools or confidence.
The reality is that supervisors and superintendents often notice when someone is struggling, but hesitate to act. They don’t want to say the wrong thing, cross a line, or open a door they don’t know how to walk through.
Mental health awareness is no longer optional. In high-risk, high-pressure industries, it belongs in the same category as safety briefings and critical communications. It is not a “nice to have,” it is part of doing the job well.
The pressure is real, and so are the consequences
In the 2025 North Sea Workforce Wellbeing Survey, nearly one in three offshore workers met the clinical threshold for depression. Over a third said their sleep quality had declined. Isolation, fatigue, and performance anxiety were among the top reported concerns.
This is not unique to offshore. It reflects what we see across shipping, logistics, and energy sectors.
As the World Health Organization puts it: “The workplace can be a protective or harmful environment for mental health, depending on how it is structured, supported and led.” (WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work, 2022)
The more responsibility someone carries, the harder it often is to ask for help. That is why awareness and early action are leadership issues, not just HR ones.
Mental health as a leadership skill
At Maersk Training, we have integrated mental health awareness into a broad portfolio of leadership and safety programmes. This includes:
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Mental Health First Aid, a 2 x 5-hour course that gives leaders the confidence to spot, support and act
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Psychological Safety at the Workplace, a 3-hour course focused on trust, openness and communication
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Leadership Coaching and Difficult Conversations, supporting supervisors in knowing when and how to engage
These courses sit alongside operational content like Fatigue at Sea, Human Factors, and Crisis Management, because we see them as part of the same safety system. They help leaders:
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Recognise signs of mental strain in themselves and their teams
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Create space for honest conversations
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Understand the limits of their role and when to involve support
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Shift their culture, not just their script
According to WHO data, workplaces that invest in mental health training see a return of four to one in improved productivity and reduced sick leave. This is not about being soft. It is about being ready.
People need leaders who notice
The best leaders I have worked with are not the ones who have all the answers. They are the ones who notice when something is off, who check in, who listen, and who know when to get help.
You do not need to diagnose. But you do need to care enough to act.
We train for fire drills, emergency shutdowns, and safety incidents. We should train for this too.
