What psychological aspects should rescuers be aware of during operations?

During rescue operations, understanding the psychological aspects such as stress, trauma, and decision fatigue is crucial for rescuers. These factors significantly affect both the mental well-being of the rescuers and their performance.

Stress can come from the high-pressure environment of a rescue scene where lives are at stake, leading to impaired judgment and decision-making. Traumatic experiences can arise from witnessing injuries, fatalities, or other distressing situations, potentially affecting rescuers long after the operation is over. Decision fatigue, which refers to the deterioration of decision-making quality after a long session of decision making, can impair the rescue team's effectiveness as they become mentally exhausted from constant critical thinking and problem-solving under pressure.

Being aware of these psychological aspects allows rescuers to implement strategies to mitigate their effects—this may include rotation of personnel to reduce fatigue, providing psychological support, and emphasizing the importance of self-care during and after high-stress operations. Inadequate attention to these aspects may lead to poor performance, mistakes in judgment, and long-lasting psychological issues for rescuers, ultimately compromising the success and safety of the operation.