Lindner Center of HOPE

In this study, we investigate how informational power shifts across employees during the assimilation of new information systems. Drawing on longitudinal archival data from two hospitals, we apply social network analysis to trace changes in connectivity and access to expertise throughout the assimilation process. Our findings reveal that assimilation enhances informational power, but does so unevenly amongst employees. The positive impact of assimilation on informational power is moderated by the relative authority and expertise of employees. Our results suggest that employees with a mismatch between authority and expertise, referred to as an authority paradox, yield the greatest increase in informational power during assimilation, while those with balanced authority and expertise experience nominal change. This study contributes to the literature by illustrating how informational power is asymmetrically reinforced during systems assimilation, impacting decision-making and strategic alignment. Our findings underscore the importance of understanding and managing informational power dynamics to fully realize the strategic benefits of technology investments.

The role of structured musical participation in fostering inclusion and social engagement among children living in residential childcare is examined. The research was conducted in cooperation with a Czech children’s home and the Harmony Foundation, which operates an orchestra inspired by El Sistema model. A participatory qualitative design was employed, combining sustained observation, semi-structured interviews with children and educators and reflective team discussions. Data were analyzed through interpretative phenomenological analysis and systematic coding. The findings indicate that regular collective music-making enhanced emotional regulation, self-confidence and perseverance. Children showed a greater willingness to collaborate and form positive peer relationships, while educators observed more cohesive group dynamics and increased motivation. Public performances strengthened the sense of belonging and personal accomplishment, particularly among children with prior experiences of instability and social exclusion. The results provide empirical evidence that music-based programmes can effectively promote inclusion and social participation in residential childcare and should be regarded as an integral component of holistic educational support within this context.

BackgroundWhile bipolar disorder is strongly linked to an increased risk of suicide, recent evidence has challenged the assumption that mixed symptoms play a distinct role in suicidal ideation beyond depressive severity. This study examines how depressive, hypo/manic, and mixed features influence suicidal ideation in individuals with bipolar disorder. Data from 903 participants in the Stanley Foundation Bipolar Network (1995–2002) were analyzed to assess associations between mood states, classified by the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology–Clinician-Rated (IDS-C) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and suicidal ideation, measured using IDS-C item 18, using generalized estimating equations.ResultsDepressive symptoms were strongly associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 21.98, 95% CI: 15.31–31.54). Moderate hypo/manic symptoms also conferred risk (OR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.51–6.49), and milder hypo/mania showed a weaker but significant association (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.05–2.89). The highest suicidal ideation was observed in individuals with hypo/mania featuring mixed symptoms (OR = 29.43), exceeding that of depression or depression with mixed features (OR = 21.98). However, findings diverged based on modeling approach: in continuous predictor models, SI was driven solely by depressive symptom severity, with no significant association observed for hypo/mania or its interaction with depression. In contrast, when mood states were categorized using clinically meaningful thresholds, hypo/mania with mixed features emerged as a distinct contributor to suicidal ideation risk.ConclusionThese findings underscore the need for integrating both dimensional and categorical approaches to mood state classification in research on suicidality in bipolar disorder.

An existing body of research demonstrates the efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills in reducing a range of psychiatric symptomatology in the United States, although the relevance of DBT Skills in low- and middle-income countries in the Global South has been understudied. Focusing on India, a middle-income country, in this qualitative study, we explored the relevance of DBT Skills for emerging adults-typically individuals aged 18-29 years-using focus groups with counseling psychology graduate students. Students (N = 22, 90% women) participated in initial focus groups where DBT Skills were outlined and were asked whether these skills would be relevant for emerging adults in India, and what adaptations may be needed. Then, students received a virtual four-week DBT Skills training program in which they learned extensively about DBT Skills and subsequently participated in focus groups to discuss the relevance of those skills for emerging adults in India. Incorporating the adaptations they recommended, students then facilitated DBT Skills groups with emerging adults in India for eight weeks and then participated in focus groups to discuss the relevance of the skills. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data from the three sets of focus groups. Twelve themes were identified and organized into three separate domains: (a) views about optimal interventions; (b) relevance of DBT Skills; and (c) sociocultural adaptations to DBT Skills. Overall, findings suggest relevance of DBT Skills for emerging adults in India with specific adaptations to emotion regulation, and more broadly to all modules by integrating collectivistic values and local cultural norms.

The super high-pressure NC balloon (OPN NC; SIS Medical AG, Winterthur, Switzerland) is increasingly used in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of its efficacy and safety. A systematic review was conducted using PubMed and the Cochrane Library to identify studies using the OPN NC balloon in PCI. Procedural success, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), coronary perforation, and other complications were pooled using weighted means, confidence intervals (CI), and I² statistics for heterogeneity assessment. Twenty-nine studies (5 prospective including 2 randomized-controlled trials, 12 retrospective, and 12 case reports) were included in the systematic review, of which 11 (3 prospective, 8 retrospective) were included in the meta-analysis. Of the 1015 meta-analysis patients, 50.7% presented with stable angina and 21.6% with an acute coronary syndrome. Mean lesion length was 22.8 ± 13.7 mm, the prevalence of moderate or severe calcification was 93.7%, and 40.4% of lesions were in-stent. Procedural success was 95.1% (95% CI 89.3%-98.8% with significant heterogeneity: I² = 84.9%). The incidence of periprocedural MACE was 1.9% (95% CI 1.1%-2.8%, I² 86.9%), and the incidence of coronary perforation was 0.6% (95% CI 0.3%-1.5%, I² 87.2%). Use of the OPN NC balloon is associated with high success and acceptable complication rates. The heterogeneity of outcomes underscores the need for additional studies and standardized definitions.

This paper focuses on the current development of the Czech prison system, which feels the strain from prison overcrowding, the need to improve resocialization programmes, and to lower penological recidivism. The paper places particular emphasis on the growing share of women serving prison sentences. An additional area of discussion highlights the need for economic sustainability of the prison system. Said proposals could improve the financial circumstances of the prison system and raise the chances of successful prisoner reintegration into society, precisely because of the employment rate. This paper aims to illustrate the significance of the restorative approach in justice (in contrast to the retributive approach) in combination with economic effectiveness that it can assist in ensuring a stable prison system.

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology ():10.1097/JCP.0000000000001867, April 19, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001867