One hundred and fifty people in Tibet have received counseling through a free hotline operated by the hospital of the Tibet General Contingent of the Armed Police.

Callers are mostly seeking help about problems concerning marital and family affairs, working pressure and insomnia, said Zhang Yaocang, president of the hospital.

Zhang believe people in Tibet, with an average altitude of above 4,000 meters, develop psychological problems more easily than in other places.

The hotline, which started on May 8, is the first of its kind in Tibet. It is open around the clock and is attended in turns by four medical doctors from the hospital's department for psychological consulting.

Cering, a Tibetan civil servant, said: "I had been suffering from insomnia as a result of work pressure but now my problem has been alleviated after I phoned in five times."

To meet the growing demand for psychological consulting, the hospital has been busy training more medical doctors who are also capable of offering psychological aid, according to Zhang.

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2006)