Wang's colleague, Peng Yu, a 28-year-old psychiatrist, is on another team of 20 medical professionals in Mianyang's Jiuzhou Gymnasium, which accommodates more than 20,000 of the quake's homeless.

The team set up a tent next to the gymnasium, with a large poster saying "psychological health base camp". More than 10 people visited the counselors on the first day of the team's services.

Peng saw a woman in her 40s, whose daughter was missing before being confirmed dead two days ago. The woman had not been crying, and refused to eat anything. She was highly tense. Peng diagnosed her as being in a stuporous state from psychological causes. He was planning to give her tranquilizers and sleep medication.

"Somebody supported her here by hand. As her most urgent problem was electrolyte imbalance, I prescribed her a transfusion of glucose and physiological saline solution," Peng said.

The woman was able to cry after psychological treatment. She drank a bottle of milk and walked away by herself. The doctor said he would definitely see her again soon.

More than 16,000 people affected by the quake are staying at Mianzhu's new municipal gymnasium. More than 800 are children, said Li Xianyun, a senior psychiatrist from Huilongguan Hospital. Her tent was right next to the gymnasium on the street.

"A temporary school has been set up, and local teachers and children have participated actively in drawing, singing, physical education lessons and games," she said.

"It looked almost as if the disaster was far away from us. The disaster seemed not to have written anything on most of the children's happy faces, although one could still detect sadness in some."

Li said a number of children had nightmares.

"Mama, there is an earthquake!" they would wake up at night shouting.

Other youngsters refused to talk. Some looked normal, but would cry, and lose their temper easily.

Li said she told the parents their children's behaviors were normal response to trauma.

"As long as we create a stable living environment, guarantee eating, drinking and living conditions, and let the children participate in normal social activities, they will recover slowly," the psychiatrist said.

"The general condition is better than I expected," she said.

"Although they do worry about their future, the people are generally grateful for the central government's speedy response and the People's Liberation Army's rescue efforts, which has given people comfort, and a sense of safety."

"The problem now is how to keep up with the aid work, and make psychological support consistent, to relieve the pressure on victims and give them hope for the future."

Wang said 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."

(China Daily May 28, 2008)