<p>Chances of survival following a cardiac arrest are very low and inversely proportional to the duration of cardiovascular arrest. It is of critical importance to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as soon as possible, even before the arrival of emergency medical team (EMT) on the scene. Therefore, early bystander CPR is a key factor in improving survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOH-CA). In Belgium, the ALERT algorithm (Algorithme Liégeois d’Encadrement à la Réanimation par Téléphone<a title="" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> offers the opportunity to help bystanders perform CPR. Dispatchers’ assisted telephone CPR has introduced a new link in the chain of survival, that contributes to a reduced OOH-CA mortality rate but at the cost of increased responsibilities and stress. ALERT also gives a new role to bystanders; they are no longer just spectators but become actors when they witness a cardiac arrest. Our team was interested in the psychological burden of ALERT. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of CPR performed by untrained persons. We studied the potential influence of different coping strategies on this impact, as well as the possible correlation with the degree of attachment to the victim and the risk of developing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). We noticed that some psychological negative impact on the bystanders could be recognized. We also identified beneficial and detrimental coping strategies. In the future, we wonder if Video-CPR (V-CPR) might improve the quality of resuscitation.</p><div><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div><p><a title="" href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> Algorithm for CPR guidance over the phone originating from Liege, Belgium</p></div></div>