Crisis intervention for the victims of the Wenchuan earthquake has now become a focus in the rescue work. A Task Force for psychological counseling in crisis and disasters has been set up by the Chinese Psychological Society and two other concerned institutions. The task force is now planning to set up psychological support stations in the disaster area, and the task will be continued for about 20 years.

The experts in the task force said that even 20-30 years after the devastating Tangshan quake, which happened in 1976, considerable psychological problems still exist among the survivors. Therefore, crisis intervention after the Wenchuan quake should be conducted for at least 20 years, said Prof. Zhang Kan, president of the Chinese Psychological Society. Zhang warned in particular of the possibility of increasing suicide incidents amongst the survivors 3 months after the quake. And about 10 psychological support stations will be set up soon in the disaster area, according to Zhang.