Psychiatrist Wang Jian is used to conducting consultations with patients in a single, quiet room, where there are paintings on the wall and comfortable couches to sit on.
But lately, Wang has had to half-squat when counseling quake victims in a factory in Pengzhou. The temporary shelter is for those made homeless by the May 12 quake in Sichuan province.
There are more than 2,000 people on the site.
"Everybody has a story," said Wang, from Beijing Huilongguan Hospital.
One 30-year-old mother had lost her daughter to the disaster. The woman refused to speak or eat for two days before a psychologist helped her contact her mother and sister.
Another quake victim, a 12-year-old girl, had refused to talk, eat or drink, until a psychologist asked her if she had anything she wanted to tell him.
"I miss my younger brother," she cried.
Along with 21 colleagues, Wang spent two days talking with quake victims at the shelter. Twenty victims with severe psychological problems were screened, and Wang's team focused on them during the second day of work.
"Some people have shown fear, anxiety, and depression. They have nightmares, and difficulty falling asleep. These are natural responses to the disaster," Wang told China Daily by phone.
"Other people show symptoms of delusion, heightened vigilance, and painful flashbacks. One person had slight symptoms of mania, and two had schizophrenia. But, generally speaking, most people's moods are relatively stable."
Wang said the fastest and most effective way to help these people is to use "psychological aid", in which the psychologists comfort and pacify victims through conversation. They also prescribe medicines for those with more serious problems.
But, he said he has had to adapt traditional treatment methods, such as group sharing sessions, breathing and muscle relaxation exercises, to suit the crowded environment.
Wang's 50-member team was the first psychiatrists and psychologists to arrive in Chengdu on May 17. They came from specialized psychiatric hospitals, including Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing Anding Hospital, and the Sixth Hospital affiliated to Peking University.
The team spent two days at two temporary shelters in Pengzhou, before moving on to four big hospitals in Chengdu to attend to people injured in the quake.
In the past week, psychiatrists and psychologists from across the country have arrived at various disaster areas to provide psychological support.
"This is the largest ever post-disaster psychological relief effort since the founding of the People's Republic of China," Wang said.
He added that while the majority of psychological problems at present fall under acute stress disorder, which shows right after the disaster, post-traumatic stress disorder, which can be more serious and longer lasting, will not appear until months later.
"This is just a beginning," he said. "There is so much work to be done."
（英語點津 Helen 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
