The Psychological Impact of Attending Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Volunteer Lay Responders: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

du Toit, Paul, Botsford, Karan and Copson, Joseph (2026) The Psychological Impact of Attending Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Volunteer Lay Responders: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. Prehospital Emergency Care. ISSN 1090-3127

Microsoft Word (rba11-The_Psychological_Impact_) Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (2MB)

Abstract

Objectives: To explore and describe the incidence of psychological impact, including post-traumatic stress-type symptoms, in volunteer lay responders following involvement with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and to identify factors influencing these outcomes. Methods: A convergent integrated mixed-methods systematic review was conducted (PROSPERO registration: CRD42023467307). APA PsycInfo, CINAHL (EBSCO), PubMed (Medline), and Web of Science were searched for studies published between January 2003 and October 2025. The Joanna Briggs Institute methodological approach guided study selection, quality appraisal, data extraction, and synthesis. Results: Twelve studies involving 80,742 participants from seven countries were included. Five key areas were identified: risk and prevalence of psychological impact; lay responder characteristics; situational dynamics; social connectedness and a sense of community; and emotions experienced while awaiting activation. Most studies reported low levels of severe psychological impact and individual characteristics, situational factors, and community support influenced psychological outcomes. Conclusions: Severe psychological effects following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were uncommon, but lay responders may experience mild-to-moderate distress influenced by demographics, situational exposure, and social support. This review highlights modifiable factors - targeted training, clear role expectations, and structured post-event support - that can mitigate psychological burden. Strengthening these areas is critical for protecting lay responders, enhancing the resilience of volunteer programs, and sustaining the Chain of Survival.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data Sharing Statement: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cardiopulmonary resuscitation,heart arrest,helping behavior,psychological trauma,volunteers
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	11 Mar 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	11 Mar 2026 15:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102311
DOI:	10.1080/10903127.2026.2640607

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item