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Aim: During rescue operations, firefighters function in a social setting, and therefore they remain under social influence and exert it themselves. One of the subtle manifestations of social influence is the social facilitation effect in changing the speed and quality of operations as a result of being watched by other people. This phenomenon seems to be explained by the attentional model, which predicts that in the presence of third parties attention is narrowed, which may lead to deterioration of, or improvement in, task performance (depending on conditions). The authors addressed the research question whether firefighters are affected by to the phenomenon of social facilitation during rescue operations – the presence of bystanders affecting the performance of their tasks. Design and methods: To answer the question of whether, during rescue operations, firefighters may be subject to the phenomenon of facilitation induced by the presence of bystanders, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study based on 18 partially-structured interviews inspired by the phenomenological method, with rescuers from the State Fire Service. The interviewees’ responses were subjected to content analysis in terms of the behaviour of bystanders witnessing their activities. Interviews were analysed according to IPA with the use of qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti. Results: Our analysis of the interviews suggests that social circumstances during rescue operations are conducive to the occurrence of the phenomenon of social facilitation. The collected data indicating the witnesses’ impact on firefighters allowed two different types of bystander behaviour, which impair the work of firefighters during operations: documenting actions of firefighters by witnesses (e.g. by recording) and conscious hindering of fire-fighting operations. The collected material also allows us to draw the conclusion that, for the rescuers in these situations, the presence of witnesses is emotionally charged – the witnesses evoke emotions (such as fear of consequences). Conclusions: The results suggest that the course of rescuers’ operations is influenced by bystanders. In addition, we identified some factors that especially hinder these activities. From a practical point of view, the filming of rescue operations by bystanders seems to be the most problematic. It is likely that this practice, which has a negative impact on the course of rescue activities, will intensify in the near future. Thus the system should be prepared for the increasing pressure from witnesses, and in particular should provide training to equip rescuers with the skills necessary to minimise the negative consequences of the audience effect.

Ageing is a stage that many see as the moment of fulfillment, i.e. when it is possible to calmly enjoy the time that remains. It is also a period when losses accumulate (important people, professional activity, health), which can lead to a significant deterio­ration of psychosocial functioning, sometimes manifesting as depression. The aim of this study was to understand the experience of mental suffering experienced by elderly women who are facing both tasks relevant to their old age and clinical depression. The second objective was to understand the importance of social relations for the recovery process or, on the contrary, for the worsening of the illness. We conducted in-depth individual interviews with three senescent women; each of them had experienced many losses in the past and is now struggling with psychological disorders in the form of a depressive episode within bipolar disorder. The contents of the interviews were then subjected to the interpretative phenomenological analysis. On the basis of the analysis, we have distinguished three aspects of the researched subjects’ relations with the surrounding world. The first one includes the losses faced by the women – the death of close relatives, retirement, decreased acuity. Another aspect concerns the feeling of alienation within areas that are still available to them, which is additionally compounded by a lack of un­derstanding from close relatives (denial of suffering, insistence on a rapid improvement). The third aspect refers to the supportive and hope-giving behaviors of the surrounding people (acknowledging suffering, giving time to heal, showing patience). Finally, we generally reflected on the determinants of the relatives’ behavior towards elderly people suffering from depression. Starzenie się jest etapem widzianym przez wielu jako moment dopełnienia, w którym możliwe jest spokojne cieszenie się pozostałym czasem. Jest to zarazem okres, w którym dochodzi do kulminacji utrat (ważnych osób, aktywności zawodowej, zdrowia) mogących doprowadzić do znacznego pogorszenia psychospołecznego funkcjonowania, manifestującego się niekiedy jako depresja. Celem badania było zrozumienie doświadczenia bólu psychicznego przeżywanego przez kobiety w wieku senioralnym, które mierzą się zarówno z zadaniami właściwymi dla okresu starości, jak i kliniczną depresją. Drugim celem było zrozumienie tego, jakie znaczenie dla procesu zdrowienia lub przeciwnie – pogłębiania się stanu choroby – mają relacje społeczne. Przeprowadziłyśmy pogłębione wywiady indywidualne z trzema kobietami w wieku senioralnym; każda z nich w przeszłości zaznała wielu utrat, a obecnie boryka się z psychicznymi zaburzeniami pod postacią depresji w przebiegu choroby afektywnej dwubiegunowej. Treść wywiadów poddałyśmy interpretacyjnej analizie fenomenologicznej. Na podstawie analizy wyodrębniłyśmy trzy aspekty relacji badanych z otaczającym światem. Pierwszy obejmuje utraty, wobec których stają kobiety – śmierć bliskich osób, zakończenie pracy zawodowej, spadek sprawności. Kolejny dotyczy poczucia wyobcowania w obszarach, które są nadal dostępne, potęgowanego przez brak zrozumienia ze strony bliskich osób (zaprzeczanie cierpieniu, naleganie na szybką poprawę). Trzeci aspekt odnosi się do wspierających i dających nadzieję zachowań otaczających osób (uznawanie cierpienia, dawanie czasu na zdrowienie, okazywanie cierpliwości). Na koniec podjęłyśmy refleksję nad uwarunkowaniami zachowań bliskich wobec starszych osób dotkniętych depresją.