Public access defibrillation: psychological consequences in responders.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Emergency Medicine
• Resilience Research

Background:

• Professional ambulance crews frequently experience adverse psychological reactions after attending traumatic events.
• Lay persons attempting resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) situations appear unusually resilient.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the psychological profile of first responders (FRs).
• Identify protective factors against adverse psychological reactions in FRs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving first responders in a community scheme.
• In-depth semi-structured interviews with six subjects.
• Analysis using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

Main Results:

• Identified a resilience phenomenon in FRs.
• Key factors include core beliefs about their role, capacity, and outcomes.
• Emotional detachment and a realistic appraisal of limitations are protective mechanisms.
• Altruistic motives combined with inherent resilience form a crucial protective mechanism.

Conclusions:

• FRs demonstrate innate resilience to psychological effects of using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public access defibrillation (PAD) schemes.
• This resilience enables optimal functioning in stressful situations.
• Findings can inform awareness of psychological requirements and aid screening/selection processes.