King's College London

A cardiac arrest is when someone’s heart stops and they collapse. People who are there at the time (lay responders) can improve the person’s chance of survival, by calling an ambulance, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using a heart restarter (defibrillator). CPR is now taught to students aged 11-18 in UK schools. This should help increase the number of people who know how to help.

Research with adults indicates that providing CPR is emotionally challenging for lay responders and some require formal psychological support. Adults report that they did not feel adequately prepared for this impact by CPR training.

There is no research exploring children and young people’s experiences of being a lay responder. Exposure to traumatic events during childhood can have lifelong impacts, but effective support afterwards can decrease psychological harm, resulting in long-term benefits and a reduction in healthcare service use.

Our research study involved interviewing young people (11-23 years-old) in the UK about their experiences of helping with a resuscitation attempt, support following it and views of any CPR training they had. We will use what we learn to inform CPR training and influence support provision for young people who are involved in providing CPR. This is what we found.

Findings – Understanding the impact on 11-18 year-olds of doing CPR

Why this matters 

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can help people survive when their heart stops (cardiac arrest). Young people can learn how to do CPR in school. 
• We didn't know what young people do, what they think and how they feel when they do CPR in real life.
• Researchers from King's College London, Oxford University and the University of Warwick and people with lived experience of cardiac arrest, CPR and training asked young people to share their stories through in-depth interviews. 
• We talked to 12 young people who had done CPR on a friend, family member or a stranger when they were 11-18 years old. 
• This is what they told us. 

1. Training

• "At school we were taught how to do CPR. We did not think we could ever use CPR so it did not feel real." – A young person

2. The Moment

• "It's impossible to prepare for." – A young person
• Training helped
• Every situation is different – who collapses, where it happens, and who else is there. 
• Some froze, some went on autopilot, and others felt the weight of responsibility.
• Helping at or witnessing a cardiac arrest can be scary and emotional. 

3. After 

• "The experience always stays with you, whether that outcome was good or bad." – A young person
• Young people spoke of shock, flashbacks, triggers, and new perspectives on life and death.
• Reassurance from healthcare professionals at the scene can help young people to deal with feelings of self-doubt or having done something wrong. 
• Whether you are bereaved or not after doing CPR, support is vital. Help came both formally (schools, counsellors) and informally (friends, family).
• Acting in the moment often changed how they saw themselves: more confident, responsible, and capable. 
• All young people said they'd want to help again. 

What young people want others to know

Young people need:

• Education that prepares them for CPR in real life
• An understanding of how they might feel and respond
• Reassurance from a healthcare professional at a cardiac arrest
• Someone they can talk to about their expereince

Remember, it's ok not to be ok after doing CPR.

• Get support from Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK
• Find out more at kcl.ac.uk

Get interactive

Access our interactive slide detailing what happens when young people step in and administer CPR on another person.

Our infographics were designed by Nifty Fox Creative.