"I Constantly Feel Worn Out": Mixed-methodology Approach to Seafarers' Sleep on Board.

Although seafaring is one of the most important professions for trade in goods in the 21st century, the results of recent research indicate that seafarers face various sources of stress in their work, including high workload and long working hours. These stressors can be reflected in low job satisfaction and poor mental health, which can result in sleep problems, and consequently lead to various somatic symptoms. The main goal of this mixed method research was, therefore, to expand knowledge about seafarers' sleep on board, whereby a sequential explanatory design was used. Study 1 (N = 286 male seafarers from Croatia) examined whether the number of sleep hours on board has a mediating role in explaining the relationship between job satisfaction and mental health as predictors of somatic symptoms. The results of the path analysis showed that higher job satisfaction directly and indirectly through longer sleep on board reduces the number of somatic symptoms, while better mental health directly contributes to fewer somatic symptoms. Study 2 (N = 205 seafarers from Croatia) aimed to get a deeper insight into the sleep of seafarers on board, whereby 39% (N = 80) of the participants had difficulties related to sleep problems on board. The thematic analysis of their answers (N = 76) showed the sleeping difficulties experienced by seafarers on board and gave an insight into the consequences of sleeping difficulties and the coping strategies they use. The results of this research indicate the importance of developing healthy work environments for seafarers.

COVID-19 Related Knowledge and Mental Health: Case of Croatia.

Background and Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to radical and unexpected changes in everyday life, and it is plausible that people's psychophysical health has been affected. This study examined the relationship between COVID-19 related knowledge and mental health in a Croatian sample of participants. METHODS: An online survey was conducted from March 18 until March 23, 2020, and a total of 1244 participant responses were collected (85.5% were women and 58.4% completed secondary education). Measures included eight questions regarding biological features of the virus, symptoms, and prevention, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Optimism-Pessimism Scale. According to the answers given on the questions on COVID-19 related knowledge, participants were divided in two groups: (1) informed and (2) uninformed on each question. They were then compared in the expressed levels of anxiety, depression, pessimism, and optimism. Full vs. partial mediation models with optimism/pessimism as a mediator in the relationship between anxiety/depression and the accuracy of responses for questions about handwashing and ways of transmission were estimated. RESULTS: Participants who responded correctly on the question about handwashing had higher levels of anxiety, depression, and pessimism than those participants whose answer was incorrect, while participants who answered correctly on the question about the percentage of patients who develop serious breathing problems had higher levels of depression than those who answered incorrectly. Lower levels of anxiety and pessimism were observed in the participants who answered correctly about ways of transmission. Higher levels of pessimism were found in participants who scored incorrectly on questions about the efficiency of antibiotics, most common symptoms, and the possibility of being infected by asymptomatic carriers. Higher levels of knowledge about handwashing were predicted by higher levels of anxiety and pessimism. Higher levels of knowledge about ways of transmission were predicted by lower levels of anxiety and lower levels of pessimism. The examined relationships between anxiety/depression and knowledge were mediated by pessimism. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that knowledge about COVID-19 may be useful to reduce anxiety and depression, but it must be directed to the promotion of health behaviors and to the recognition of fake news.