The role of uncertainty in earthquake fear and well-being among seafarers.

Abstract

BackgroundSeafarers live away from their families and society during their duty aboard. They have limited sources of communication in the event of natural disasters.ObjectiveThe study aimed to examine the association between fear of earthquakes and seafarers' mental well-being, and to explore the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty.MethodsThe sample comprised 357 Turkish seafarers. The rationale behind the selection of the Turkish seafarers is the occurrence of two catastrophic earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023, which resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. Four hypotheses were proposed within the scope of the study and tested using structural equation modeling.ResultsThe data obtained from the Turkish seafarers supported the hypothesized pathways. The study revealed a significant association among three latent variables. Fear of earthquakes, which was associated with mental well-being, which was mediated by intolerance of uncertainty.ConclusionsThe study highlights the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in seafarers' psychological resilience, particularly in the context of natural disasters. Given the isolation and limited communication inherent to seafaring, targeted mental health interventions and enhanced communication strategies are essential to mitigating uncertainty-related distress and promoting well-being in high-risk environments.