Volunteers play games with children in Mianyang's Jiuzhou Gymnasium, helping them overcome acute stress. [Xinhua]
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 telephone.
"Other people show symptoms of elusion, 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.
"Our mission is to offer psychological support for people in disaster-stricken areas, including ordinary citizens, the injured, medical staff and rescue workers."