CHANDIGARH, July 6 — * A 30-year-old woman who was into the habit of frequent outings, suddenly starts remaining aloof. She gets irritated at any sign of activity and prefers to shut herself in the room than interact with friends.

* A successful lady doctor feels mentally crippled after she has some low moments professionally. Where once she was confident about herself, now she is pessimistic. She fears that the seniors will spoil her performance report.

* A teenager becomes forgetful and loses interest in all adventurous activities. He can’t read for long and can’t remember what he is reading. His case is treated by a local psychiatrist who points out that if not treated in time, he would surely take to crime.

— These are some of the many cases of depression, the mental illness which, according to experts, is rising at an alarming rate in the city. Although no record can possibly be maintained in this regard, experts inform that where two years back, 10 people were being treated, today the number is three times. Depression among children is also rising in a big way, as is indicated by more children taking to crime or to suicide. Psychologists explain that rising academic expectations of parents plays a major role in building a child’s fear. He is perpetually worried about his incapability to perform.

“Most of the time the reason is ‘failure to rise upto expectations.’ The problem keeps building up and gradually the child starts fluctuating between two extremes. Sometimes he is highly energetic, sometimes he is too low. This trend is a sure sign of worry,” says a GMCH doctor. More and more children are now also visiting the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic at the PGI.

Depressive disorders are classified as two: unipolar (marked by feelings of hopelessness and dejection) and bipolar (where the mood swings drastically). Psychologists point out that women are the most prone to depression. Figures suggest that two thirds of unipolar depression victims are women. Says Dr D. Basu, Associate Professor, Deparment of Psychiatry, PGI, “This does not imply hat men are immune. In fact, depression occurs among people from all socio-economic strata. Elders, with strong psycho-social adversities, are also quite prone.”

Reasons leading to depression are not definite, but Dr Basu put the causes into three broad categories: somatic (marked by changed sleep patterns), behavioural (changes in attitude) and cognitive (marked by an altered thinking pattern).

He further stated that among those most prone to depression are those who have a strong family history of depression, those who are exposed to higher amount of adversity and those who have been living alone for long. One of the psychiatrists also pointed out that the monotony created by the city architecture is also a reason of depression among people here.

Early detection, all doctors feel, is a must for treatment because depressives have tendencies of suicide. They also suggest open talks with patients so as to talk them out of their depression.

Seek help here : Although the city lacks hotlines and distress call provisions (as available in cities like Delhi and Calcutta), the following places can be of help:

* Walk in clinic, Department of Psychiatry, PGI: Treatment time — 8 am and 11 am, 2 pm and 3 pm.

* Psychiatry Department, GMCH-32: No first appointment needed.

CHANDIGARH, July 6 — The UT Administration has rejected the proposal sent by the Director General, Sports Authority of India, Mr DK Mittal, for handing over the management of the Sector 42 Sports Complex to SAI on long lease basis. In its letter dated June 12, 2000, Ms Vineeta Rai, Adviser to the Chandigarh Administrator, replied to the May 1, 2000, letter of DG SAI, where latter had stated that SAI was to start the ‘centre of excellence’ in sports in Northern Centre, Sector 42, and control over management of this complex was required.

She has wrote in her reply that Sports Complex, Sector 42, was a nodal centre and serving the requirements of the city residents for variety of sport and games. Moreover, UT Administration had plans to further expand this centre by adding facilities in swimming, judo, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, kho-kho, kabaddi and handball. The UT Administration was also in the process of relaying hockey turf at a cost of Rs 1.90 crore.

A fully residential football academy, the first of its kind in this part of the country, was expected to function shortly, where youngsters below 10 years would be provided with free boarding, lodging, educational and best of football playing facilities. So it was not possible to handover the management of Sector 42 Sports Complex, to SAI on long-term basis as desired. She assured that the UT would provide support for the efforts of the SAI in development of infrastructure and facilities in Sector 42 Sports Complex, including for the proposed sports sciences centre and centre of excellence in hockey, for which adequate space and help would be provided.

The DG SAI, on the recommendations of Director In-charge, Northern Centre, Dr P.C. Kashyap had sent a detailed letter to the UT Adviser, the contents of which stated that SAI had six regional centres all over India, including one at Chandigarh.This centre did not have proper infrastructure and facilities , while others, such as at Bangalore, Calcutta, Gandhinagar and Imphal had sufficient space. They required the management, which included maintenance, utilisation, holding of state and national coaching camps. They also wanted permission to build additional sports infrastructure, as may be required according to the needs of the states/UT.

At present, SAI was utilising various rooms and a basement hall in the Hockey Stadium, Sector 42, and not paying any rent to the UT. Surprisingly, even electricity and water charges, running into lakhs, incurred by the Regional Centre for the past few years were accumulated as these were not paid back. Recently, some office space was given by UT to the organising committee of the national games.

In last month’s visit of Lieut-Gen (retd) JFR Jacob, Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator, for reviewing progress of Football Academy, he had assured that some space would be given for the proposed sport sciences and he was assured by SAI officials that this centre would be ready by August 15 this year. In the meeting held the next day at Raj Bhavan, in the presence of Union Sports Minister, Mr S.S. Dhindsa, where other officials connected with National Games were present, he had verbally rejected the proposal mooted from SAI officials for handing over the management of the Sector 42 complex.