One study (15) showed that after an avalanche accident, 28% of all victims and 41% of those completely buried suffer temporarily from post-traumatic stress disorder (e.g. compulsive memories, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, feelings of guilt). In 18% of completely buried survivors these complaints persist for years.

This high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD (16)) suggests that the traumatic psychological consequences have previously been underestimated so far and that in case of an avalanche accident a crisis intervention team (CIT) should be ready. Conversely, it is also necessary to take care of the rescue team by debriefing them (critical incident stress debriefing - CISD), especially after accidents with multiple fatalities.