What Mental Health Support Solutions does

Mental Health Support Solutions GmbH (MHSS) is a Hamburg-headquartered, privately-held provider of professional psychological services dedicated exclusively to the maritime industry. Founded in 2016 by Clinical Psychologist Charles Watkins and Licensed Psychotherapist Susann Rüsch, the company delivers a 24/7 freephone multilingual mental health helpline (55+ languages), one-to-one counselling and therapy, organisational mental-health audits and strategy formulation, onboard crisis interventions, and tailored training programmes (videos, applications, poster campaigns, seminars) to international vessel owners, managers, operators, and individual seafarers. Its core delivery asset is a curated clinical network of 100+ qualified psychologists with maritime-specific expertise, coordinated by regionally distributed Clinical Operations Managers covering Europe, the Philippines, India, Eastern Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

MHSS operates as an enterprise B2B professional services and subscription business. Revenue is generated through corporate mental-health strategy engagements, customised training production, recurring helpline access (including via the Steamship Mutual P&I Club channel), conference and seminar services, and specialised programmes such as the Female Ambassadors Programme, LGBTQ+ specialist support, and family resources co-developed with The Swedish Club. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales to ship managers and operators, channel partnerships with maritime welfare bodies (Stella Maris, OneCare Group, RightShip), and conference-led thought leadership at events such as Seatrade Crew Connect and SAFETY4SEA Forums. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and has received the Seatrade Industry Partner Award (2023) and the Eily Keary Award for Diversity & Inclusion in Maritime (2025). It is led operationally by Managing Director Mariana Charalambous and Founder/Clinical Director Charles Watkins, with no disclosed external equity investment.

Name

Mental Health Support Solutions

Legal name

Mental Health Support Solutions GmbH

Website

https://mentalhealth-support.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mental Health Support Solutions (Hamburg) delivers 24/7 multilingual mental health helpline, counselling, audits and training services exclusively to the maritime industry, serving international vessel owners, operators and seafarers through a global network of 100+ qualified psychologists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Mental Health Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (62133), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral & Mental Health Virtual Care (EAP/Teletherapy) (HLALADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Maritime mental health services
• Seafarer psychological support
• Corporate wellbeing consulting
• Mental health helpline
• Crew welfare programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Mental Health Strategy Services: Provision of deep dive mental health audits and formulation of company mental health strategy for maritime organizations. Services include one-to-one counselling/therapy and organizational psychological assessments.
2. Tailored Training Services: Design and production of customized mental health training videos, applications, poster campaigns, seminars, and circulars for maritime companies.
3. 24/7 Helpline Services: Continuous mental health support hotline accessible to seafarers and maritime personnel around the clock.
4. Conference and Event Services: Attendance at crew and officer conferences worldwide, delivering seminars on mental health and hosting roundtable discussions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mental Health Support Solutions provides professional psychological support services exclusively to the maritime industry, including a 24/7 multilingual mental health helpline accessible from ashore and onboard, deep-dive company mental health audits and strategy formulation, one-to-one counselling and therapy, tailored training (videos, applications, poster campaigns, seminars, circulars), onboard crisis interventions, and specialized programs for female seafarers, LGBTQ+ professionals, and seafarer families. These services are sold primarily under enterprise contracts with vessel owners, managers, operators, P&I clubs, and welfare organizations, delivered by a global team of 100+ qualified clinical psychologists operating in 55+ languages.

Product overview

Mental Health Support Solutions (MHSS) provides a comprehensive suite of professional psychological services exclusively for the maritime industry. The core offerings include a 24/7 multilingual helpline, tailored company strategy and mental health audits, customized training programs (videos, applications, seminars), and conference services. Specialized support programs include the Female Ambassadors Programme, LGBTQ+ specialist support, family resources developed with The Swedish Club, and onboard psychological interventions. The company operates with a global team of 100+ psychologists across 55+ languages, serving vessel owners, managers, operators, and individual crew members worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Mental Health Helpline A freephone mental health helpline available 24 hours, seven days a week, accessible ashore and on board, supporting seafarers in 55+ languages via a global team of 100+ qualified clinical psychologists.
• Company Mental Health Strategy & Audit Services Provision of deep-dive mental health audits and the formulation of company-wide mental health strategy for maritime organizations, combined with one-to-one counselling and therapy sessions for individuals.
• Tailored Mental Health Training Custom design and production of mental health training content for maritime companies, including tailored videos, applications, poster campaigns, seminars, and circulars.
• Conference & Roundtable Services In-person attendance at crew and officer conferences worldwide, delivering mental health seminars and hosting roundtable discussions for maritime stakeholders.
• Female Ambassadors Programme Specialized mental health initiative supporting female seafarers with targeted resources, advocacy, and peer-support addressing gender-specific challenges in the maritime industry.
• LGBTQ+ Specialist Support Dedicated, inclusive mental health support services for LGBTQ+ maritime workers, providing culturally sensitive care for an underserved maritime population.
• Family Resources for Seafarers Mental health and support resources developed in partnership with The Swedish Club, helping seafarer families cope with isolation, separation, and the emotional challenges of loved ones being at sea.
• Onboard Psychological Interventions Direct psychological crisis response and mental health interventions delivered in person on vessels, supporting seafarer wellbeing during incidents and ongoing operations.
• Superyacht Crew Mental Health Survey Industry partnership research initiative with superyacht recruitment agency Quay Crew conducting mental health surveys with crew across 50+ countries, producing published reports on crew wellbeing in the superyacht sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of respondents report an increase in overall wellbeing, motivation and productivity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Quay CrewcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with superyacht recruitment agency Quay Crew to conduct mental health surveys with crew members. Over 1,000 anonymous recipients from more than 50 countries shared their mental health experiences as part of unique industry partnership to highlight critical concerns among crew.
• The Swedish ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Swedish Club to develop family resources for seafarers' loved ones, helping families deal with feelings of isolation and separation.
• Stella MariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Stella Maris, a maritime welfare organization, to support seafarer welfare and wellbeing.
• OneCare GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHSS is a member of OneCare Group, a leading health and wellbeing platform. Under this umbrella, the company offers mental health ship visits as an industry first initiative.
• Steamship MutualcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with leading P&I Club that provides mental health helpline access to crew members on entered vessels, with 24-hour access to counselling and crisis support.
• OneCare SolutionsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated company within OneCare Group offering health and wellbeing platform services alongside MHSS mental health services.
• BS ShipmanagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor ship management company utilizing MHSS mental health services for crew welfare support.
• Columbia ShipmanagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading ship management company with established partnership with MHSS for crew wellbeing and mental health support services.
• Eastern Pacific ShippingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping company implementing EPS Life at Sea Programme with MHSS support for comprehensive wellbeing benefits to 6,000+ crew members.
• RightShipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOneCare Group joined RightShip's Zero Harm Innovation Partner Programme, an initiative aiming to encourage development of new solutions towards a zero-harm maritime industry.
• Norbulk ShippingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping company receiving bespoke mental health training and support services from MHSS.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sailors' Society: A long-standing maritime welfare charity providing pastoral and mental health support to seafarers globally, including crisis response and wellbeing programs for crews in port and at sea. Highly comparable to MHSS because it directly targets the same seafarer population with similar counseling, welfare, and crisis-support offerings, and is explicitly cited in the management team's clinical-leadership pipeline (Alexander Dimitrevich's prior role).
• Stella Maris: International maritime welfare organization with port chaplaincy networks and seafarer support services including mental health and family welfare. Directly comparable to MHSS as it serves the same seafarer population with confidential support, family resources, and welfare programs, and is listed as a strategic partner of MHSS.
• OneCare Group: A maritime-focused health and wellbeing platform of which MHSS is a member, providing integrated crew health services including mental health ship visits (described as an 'industry first initiative'). Directly comparable because it operates the same enterprise sales motion to ship owners and managers and shares strategic customer relationships including RightShip's Zero Harm programme.

Broad incumbents

• International SOS: Global provider of medical and security assistance services to multinational employers, including remote-site and maritime clients. Comparable as a broad-incumbent EAP/occupational health provider that serves enterprise customers in the maritime vertical alongside many other industries.
• International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN): The umbrella industry body coordinating seafarer welfare services and funding welfare organizations globally. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the maritime welfare space in which MHSS operates, providing thought leadership, hotlines, and standards that shape MHSS's addressable market.
• ICAS International: Global provider of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and wellbeing services to multinational employers. Comparable as an established incumbent EAP provider using a similar 24/7 multilingual helpline and counseling delivery model that MHSS deploys to enterprise clients in the maritime sector.
• Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP): Nonprofit providing humanitarian support and trauma response to seafarers affected by piracy. Comparable as an incumbent maritime-specific welfare provider focused on the trauma and mental health dimensions of piracy incidents, operating in a closely adjacent niche to MHSS's onboard interventions and trauma response.

Emerging players

• Spill: A workplace mental health platform offering chat-based therapy and EAP services to UK and European employers. Comparable as an emerging tech-enabled entrant offering enterprise mental health via a digital channel, representing the type of lower-cost, scalable model that could encroach on MHSS's enterprise accounts.
• Modern Health: Global employer mental health platform combining digital self-service, coaching, and licensed therapist matching in 100+ languages. Comparable as an emerging multinational EAP/mental health platform that, while not maritime-specific, competes for the same enterprise mental-health budget as MHSS.
• Lyra Health: Enterprise mental health platform providing therapy, coaching, and medication management to global employers. Comparable as an emerging tech-driven EAP/mental health vendor with multinational employer relationships that could serve shipping and offshore employers as an alternative to MHSS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MentalH71554760
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mental-health-support-solutions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mental Health Support Solutions