The figure is higher than many people expect, particularly given that younger survivors tend to have fewer physical problems and are often considered to be doing well. But surviving a cardiac arrest at a young age can be deeply distressing in ways that a physical assessment alone does not capture.
There is the shock of the event itself. The visceral knowledge that your heart stopped. The disruption to work, family life and a future that had seemed secure. The ongoing uncertainty about whether it could happen again. For those in their twenties, thirties or forties — perhaps with young children, a demanding job, and decades of plans — the psychological toll can be severe and long-lasting.
Research has consistently found that anxiety, depression and PTSD are common after cardiac arrest, and that younger survivors are disproportionately affected psychologically. A major Danish study found anxiety levels of nearly 30% in survivors under 35, compared to around 13.5% in those over 75.
Anxiety is a natural response to a traumatic event. The difficulty is that it can go undetected if follow-up appointments are focused almost entirely on physical recovery. If you are experiencing persistent worry, fear or panic since your cardiac arrest, it is worth raising this directly with your GP or cardiac team. You do not have to wait to be asked.