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Tim Kelly's China Update

As a former state mental health commissioner and current director of the De Pree Public Policy Institute, I was invited to work with Chinese officials to help develop clinical training programs in China for mental health professionals. For the past two years I have helped train psychiatrists and psychologists from all over China in cognitive-behavioral therapy. A few months ago, I was invited by Dr. Yang, director of the Sichuan University Psychiatric Hospital in Chengdu, to provide a sampling of my training program in early June.

Then came China’s devastating earthquake of May 12. To date, nearly 70,000 are confirmed dead, almost 250,000 seriously injured, and over one million displaced—and, tragically, the numbers constantly increase. In Chengdu, 50 miles south of the epicenter, refugees have poured in seeking medical help, and a contaminated water supply, airborne pollutants, and growing chaos have added to the strain on life and governance.

Dr. Yang requested that I not reschedule my trip and urged me to come to Chengdu as planned. She asked me to draw on my background and expertise in emergency preparedness and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to help assist with current needs. She pointed out that the psychological damages of the earthquake will probably be greater than the physical damages, and yet China has few providers adequately trained for such needs. In addition to describing some of my work with Chinese mental health providers in training sessions in Shanghai, the following reports recount some of my impressions and experiences as I witnessed the aftermath of the country's most destructive natural disaster in 30 years.