Researchers have found that people who come through crashes end up with better long-term mental health than those who have never experienced danger in the air.

They compared the psychological well-being of 15 survivors to that of eight individuals who travel frequently by air for business or pleasure and have never been in a crash.

Both groups filled out questionnaires concerning their levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.

The New York researchers found the psychological well-being of the airplane crash survivors was much better on all the levels measured.

They scored lower on several standard measures of emotional distress than those who had not been in an accident.

Most research has examined the immediate effects of disasters, which show that survivors experience significant levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Long-term impact

However, little research has been done into the long-term psychological impact.

Findings from a previous study done in 1993 on shipwreck survivors had similar conclusions. Those people reported strong positive changes in their outlook on life, greater self-esteem and most importantly, lower scores on measures of post-traumatic stress.

One of the researchers Gary Capobianco, of Old Dominion University, said: "How the survivors perceived their level of control during the crash seemed to affect their future feelings of distress.

"Flight crew survivors who believed they had control over events that may have led to or caused the crash reported less distress.

"And, passenger survivors who felt they had control over how they acted or what they said or did in reaction to the crash itself also reported less distress."

Most disaster research focuses on the negative responses to the traumatic event, said Mr Capobianco.

"Few studies look at the possibility for positive changes in a survivor's life following a traumatic event. Future research should focus on how experiencing a traumatic event can provide a benefit to or become a resource for a survivor."