Yes, and more profoundly than many people expect. Performing CPR on someone you love is one of the most distressing experiences a person can face. You were trying to keep someone alive — possibly not knowing whether your efforts were working, possibly believing at some point that you were losing them. That is a deeply traumatic experience, regardless of the outcome.
Co-survivors who performed CPR commonly report intrusive thoughts and flashbacks replaying the moment of collapse or the resuscitation itself, guilt about whether they started quickly enough or performed it correctly, hypervigilance about the survivor’s health, fear of being left alone with the survivor, and difficulty sleeping.
It is important to know that guilt about CPR performance is extremely common and almost never warranted. Even trained paramedics do not perform CPR perfectly under stress. Imperfect CPR is far better than no CPR, and the fact that you acted almost certainly made a difference.
If you are struggling with distressing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, or low mood following the experience, please talk to your GP. Effective treatments are available, including trauma-focused CBT and EMDR. You can also contact Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK for peer support from others who have been through similar experiences.