Beyond the Gangway: Seafarers' Shore Leave Experiences and Mental Well-Being

Shore leave has long been regarded as a key recovery mechanism for seafarers, yet access to it has become increasingly rare and brief. Existing studies tend to treat shore leave as a minor component of seafarer welfare or to measure it through access and frequency, so little is known about how seafarers' lived experiences of both access to and restriction from shore leave shape their mental health and emotional well-being. This study explored these experiences and their perceived influence on seafarers' mental health and emotional well-being. A descriptive qualitative design guided by reflexive thematic analysis was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 purposively selected seafarer graduates of a Philippine maritime institution, who were sampled to capture both accessible and restricted shore leave experiences, until data saturation was reached. Data were analyzed following Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework. Six themes emerged: (1) restorative impact of shore leave; (2) emotional and social reconnection; (3) variability in psychological reliance on shore leave; (4) psychological and operational risks of restricted or denied shore leave; (5) structural, financial, and cultural barriers to access; and (6) recommendations for institutional and welfare reform. When accessible, shore leave was described as a source of psychological reset and social renewal, whereas its prolonged absence was linked to frustration and, in some accounts, to fatigue and safety risk. Some participants reported minimal reliance on shore leave when protected by adequate rest hours, a manageable workload, or personal coping resources. Shore leave therefore functions as a conditional, situational recovery mechanism whose value depends on access, fairness, and compensating onboard protective factors. The findings support institutionalizing structured, equitable shore leave practices and inform recommendations for shipping companies, port authorities, maritime education institutions, and policymakers.