Most found themselves penniless in the earthquake after years of hard work.

Villagers share biscuits for lunch at a quake relief station. [File Photo]

Dong's colleague, Xiao Kun, lost his new bride two days after their wedding ceremony. The 27-year-old had only a coat and 100 yuan (14.29 U.S. dollars) in pocket when excavated from debris.

As with most residents, he could not afford to rent an apartment, which cost 400 yuan (57.14 U.S. dollars) a month, though he is relatively lucky to earn 750 yuan (107.14 U.S. dollars) monthly as a civil servant. He shares a dormitory with others.

Xiao often felt anxious for no reason after the quake. "I can't concentrate on what I'm doing. I feel tired in the daytime, but could not sleep at night."

"You might think the victims are normal, but when we had a little alcohol, they cried badly." Xiao didn't plan to go to hospital for psychological help as he had "no money nor time."

Zhao Qizhou, another colleague of Dong, admitted he had thought of suicide. "We are under great pressure."

Xu Guangxing, a Shanghai Psychology Association expert, said suicides would peak six months after the earthquake.

"Research shows about 20 to 30 percent earthquake victims will suffer depression, anxiety, paranoid and other symptoms. Among them, 12 to 15 percent are vulnerable to suicide."

Xu participated in earthquake relief work in Japan in 1995. He said some Japanese earthquake victims ended their lives in three ways. "One is to cut off from the outside world and die lonely, another is to take extreme ways such as jumping from buildings. The third is to injure others."

Five months after the quake, experts believed it's high time to strengthen psychological help to victims.

"Three groups need psychological help most: those who had psychological disease before the earthquake, those who lost family members in the disaster and those who were deformed in the earthquake," Xu said.

Yang Jianfen, a Beichuan County resident, lost her only daughter in the quake. Her husband then stayed in hospital after his leg was broken by a collapsed shelter in the Sept. 24 landslides.

"It's disasters. You can't explain them. We lost our daughter and only have each other. Patience is all I have in waiting for his recovery and we struggle to make a living together," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2008)