The most important stressor in many emergency medical settings is inadequate staff training in the issues most frequently confronted. Other stressors include unclear role definitions, poor leadership, and excessive exposure to the extremes of human suffering and cruelty. Although the same situation can be invigorating for one staff member and devastating for another, this paper will focus on the latter experience by discussing burnout, depression, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Prevention and treatment will be considered in the context of the psychiatric consultant's role. Other stressors are less subject to intervention and will not be discussed. Psychophysiological disturbances such as hypertension are beyond the scope of this paper and will not be dealt with here.