Analysis: Facing a future haunted by fears and flashbacks

A subsequent miner freed was Jimmy Sanchez, a 19-year-old who had coped less well with life underground and seemed more bewildered by the celebrity focus of the world's media.

Both portray the psychological consequences of their traumatic captivity. First, there is the problem of overcoming traumatic events, and second, living with celebrity.

Our study of post-traumatic stress disorder began with the experience of combat war veterans who suffered the classic triad of horror, terror and loss, often repeated many times and lasting over a period of years.

But since the miners' discovery on 22 August, effective communication was established and they were guaranteed water, food, clothing, bedding and contact with families. Their experience is not traumatic in the sense of experiencing continuing threats to life.

Although the long confinement increased the chances of claustrophobic reactions and potential despair at ever being rescued, it is likely other concerns preyed on the men's minds. These would involve fears for the wellbeing of their families, fears for their own economic future and the raw pain of separation. The rescue team seemed conscious of all these issues. The intervention shows all the signs of employing first-class psychological advice.

Claustrophobia and fear of the dark may persist in many, albeit at a moderate level. One more serious symptom is a sense of depersonalisation, when the individual feels detached from their own emotional responses and those of others.

• Paddy O'Donnell is a professor of psychology at the University of Glasgow.