Ex-entrepreneurs can thrive in the right employee roles, UCF researcher finds in new study

Assistant Professor Jeff Gish co-authored a study which found that former entrepreneurs can successfully transition into employees, especially in roles that harness their entrepreneurial spirit.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

 

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IN THE STUDY, RESEARCHERS EXAMINED THE IDENTITY CONFLICT LEVELS OF FORMER ENTREPRENEURS WHO WENT ON TO WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION. IMAGE CREDIT: ANTOINE HART

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CREDIT: ANTOINE HART/UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

ORLANDO, Dec. 7, 2023 — Once an entrepreneur always an entrepreneur? Not necessarily, says a new study by researchers at the University of Central Florida and Purdue University. Former entrepreneurs can transition from being their own boss into successful employees within an organization, especially in roles that harness their entrepreneurial spirit, according to a recent study published in Personnel Psychology.

“With today’s career paths typically spanning multiple roles across a variety of organizations, understanding the transition between someone’s old work self and new work self may be critical to not only the employee’s success but also the company’s,” says Jeff Gish, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship in UCF’s College of Business and the study’s co-author. 

Gish and co-author Jordan Nielsen, an assistant professor of management organizational behavior/human resources at Purdue, examined the identity conflict levels of former entrepreneurs who went on to work for an organization.

Research has shown that former entrepreneurs frequently experience a “founder penalty” when applying for jobs, losing out to applicants who have never been self-employed. Employers assume former entrepreneurs may be more difficult to manage or will jump ship to start another company and be their own boss again. This new research suggests that this need not be the case for all jobs or for all ex-entrepreneurs.

They surveyed ex-entrepreneurs about their current work identity and whether they felt they could act like an entrepreneur in their current work role or if they had to suppress their entrepreneurial spirit. They also surveyed the ex-entrepreneurs’ romantic partners about whether the employee spoke highly of their current organization, engaging in boosterism or experienced burnout in the role.  

Gish and Nielsen found that identity conflict between the old entrepreneurial self and the new employee self was associated with higher levels of burnout and lower levels of boosterism.

“Ex-entrepreneurs who felt a strong nostalgia for being their own boss tended to be the ones who were the most negatively affected, with the highest levels of burnout and lowest levels of boosterism,” Nielsen says. “To mitigate this, organizations could use interview questions to help identify those who may be more likely to suffer negative consequences or develop positions and onboarding practices that minimize this source of conflict and lay a stronger foundation for success.”

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JOURNAL

Personnel Psychology

DOI

10.1111/peps.12626 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

When old and new selves collide: Identity conflict and entrepreneurial nostalgia among ex-entrepreneurs

 Petty Bourgeoisie and Middle Class.  The lower middle class or the petty (petite) bourgeoisie (the bourgeoisie was sometimes called the middle class in this era), “are smallowners who still work their own means of production, or owner-workers” (Adams and Sydie, p. 134).  The characteristic of this class is that it does own some property, but not sufficient to have all work done by employees or workers.  Members of this class must also work in order to survive, so they have a dual existence – as (small scale) property owners and as workers.  Because of this dual role, members of this class have divided interests, usually wishing to preserve private property and property rights, but with interests often opposed to those of the capitalist class.  This class is split internally as well, being geographically, industrially, and politically dispersed, so that it is difficult for it to act as a class.  Marx expected that this class would disappear as capitalism developed, with members moving into the bourgeoisie or into the working class, depending on whether or not they were successful.  Many in this class have done this, but at the same time, this class seems to keep recreating itself in different forms.

 

Marx considers the petite bourgeoisie to be politically conservative or reactionary, preferring to return to an older order.  This class has been considered by some Marxists to have been the base of fascism in the 1920s and 1930s.  At other times, when the petty bourgeoisie is acting in opposition to the interests of large capital, it may have a more radical or reformist bent to it – for example, small employers may express opposition to large monopolies that may be attempting to eliminate small businesses. 

 

Note on the Middle Class.  The issue of the middle class or classes appears to be a major issue within Marxian theory, one often addressed by later Marxists.  Many Marxists attempt to show that the middle class is declining, and polarization of society into two classes is a strong tendency within capitalism.  Marx's view was that the successful members of the middle class would become members of the bourgeoisie, while the unsuccessful would be forced into the proletariat.  In the last few years, many have argued that in North America, and perhaps on a world scale, there is an increasing gap between rich and poor and there is a declining middle.

 

While there have been tendencies in this direction, especially among the farmers and peasantry, there has been no clear long run trend toward decline of the middle class.  At the same time as there has been polarization of classes, there have been new middle groupings created.  Some of these are small business people, shopkeepers, and small producers while others are professional and managerial personnel, and some intellectual personnel.  Well paid working class members and independent trades people might consider themselves to be members of the middle class.  Some segments of this grouping have expanded in number in recent years.  While it is not clear that these groups hold together and constitute a class in any Marxian sense of being combined in opposition to other classes, they do form a middle grouping.  Since Marx's prediction has not come true, sociologists and other writers have devoted much attention to explaining this middle grouping – what is its basis, what are the causes of its stability or growth, how it fits into the class structure, and what are the effects of its existence on proletariat and bourgeoisie.

Marx on Social Class

University of Regina

https://uregina.ca › ~gingrich

Jan 31, 2003 — Marx considers the petite bourgeoisie to be politically conservative or reactionary, preferring to return to an older order. This class has ...

 

Magnetization by laser pulse

Research team identifies new details of a promising phenomenon

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM DRESDEN-ROSSENDORF

 

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IF A STRONG LASER PULSE HITS AN IRON ALLOY, THE MATERIAL MELTS BRIEFLY AT THE IRRADIATED POINT AND A TINY MAGNETIC AREA FORMS.

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CREDIT: HZDR / SANDER MÜNSTER

To magnetize an iron nail, one simply has to stroke its surface several times with a bar magnet. Yet, there is a much more unusual method: A team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) discovered some time ago that a certain iron alloy can be magnetized with ultrashort laser pulses. The researchers have now teamed up with the Laserinstitut Hochschule Mittweida (LHM) to investigate this process further. They discovered that the phenomenon also occurs with a different class of materials – which significantly broadens potential application prospects. The working group presents its findings in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials (DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202311951).

The unexpected discovery was made back in 2018. When the HZDR team irradiated a thin layer of an iron-aluminum alloy with ultrashort laser pulses, the non-magnetic material suddenly became magnetic. The explanation: The laser pulses rearrange the atoms in the crystal in such a way that the iron atoms move closer together, and thus forming a magnet. The researchers were then able to demagnetize the layer again with a series of weaker laser pulses. This enabled them to discover a way of creating and erasing tiny "magnetic spots" on a surface.

However, the pilot experiment still left some questions unanswered. "It was unclear whether the effect only occurs in the iron-aluminum alloy or also in other materials," explains HZDR physicist Dr. Rantej Bali. "We also wanted to try tracking the time progression of the process." For further investigation, he teamed up with Dr. Theo Pflug from the LHM and colleagues from the University of Zaragoza in Spain.

Flip book with laser pulses

The experts focused specifically on an iron-vanadium alloy. Unlike the iron-aluminum alloy with its regular crystal lattice, the atoms in the iron-vanadium alloy are arranged more chaotically, forming an amorphous, glass-like structure. In order to observe what happens upon laser irradiation, the physicists used a special method: The pump-probe method.

"First, we irradiate the alloy with a strong laser pulse, which magnetizes the material," explains Theo Pflug. "Simultaneously, we use a second, weaker pulse that is reflected on the material surface."

The analysis of the reflected laser pulse provides an indication of the material's physical properties. This process is repeated several times, whereby the time interval between the first "pump" pulse and the subsequent "probe" pulse is continually extended.

As a result, a time series of reflection data is obtained, which allows to characterize the processes being triggered by the laser excitation. "The whole procedure is similar to generating a flip book," says Pflug. "Likewise, a series of individual images that animate when viewed in quick succession."

Rapid melting

The result: Although it has a different atomic structure than the iron-aluminum compound, the iron-vanadium alloy can also be magnetized via laser. "In both cases, the material melts briefly at the irradiation point", explains Rantej Bali. "This causes the laser to erase the previous structure so that a small magnetic area is generated in both alloys."

An encouraging result: Apparently, the phenomenon is not limited to a specific material structure but can be observed in diverse atomic arrangements.

The team is also keeping track of the temporal dynamics of the process: "At least we now know in which time scales something happens," explains Theo Pflug. "Within femtoseconds, the laser pulse excites the electrons in the material. Several picoseconds later, the excited electrons transfer their energy to the atomic nuclei."

Consequently, this energy transfer causes the rearrangement into a magnetic structure, which is stabilized by the subsequent rapid cooling. In follow-up experiments, the researchers aim to observe exactly how the atoms rearrange themselves by examining the magnetization process with intense X-rays.

Sights set on applications

Although still in the early stages, this work already provides initial ideas for possible applications: For example, placing tiny magnets on a chip surface via laser is conceivable. "This could be useful for the production of sensitive magnetic sensors, such as those used in vehicles," speculates Rantej Bali. "It could also find possible applications in magnetic data storage."

Additionally, the phenomenon appears relevant for a new type of electronics, namely spintronics. Here, magnetic signals should be used for digital computing processes instead of electrons passing through transistors as usual – offering a possible approach to computer technology of the future.

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JOURNAL

Advanced Functional Materials

DOI

10.1002/adfm.202311951 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Laser-Induced Positional and Chemical Lattice Reordering Generating Ferromagnetism

 

Growing biofilms actively alter host environment, new study reveals

The findings may offer insight into disease growth and the mechanics of antibiotic resistance

Peer-Reviewed Publication

PENN STATE

 

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THREE-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A BIOFILM GROWN UNDER A 0.5% AGAROSE GEL. THE SCALE BAR IS 10 ΜM.  

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CREDIT: PROVIDED BY JING YAN

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Dental plaque, gut bacteria and the slippery sheen on river rocks are all examples of biofilms, organized communities of microorganisms that colonize our bodies and the world around us. A new study led by Penn State researchers reveals exactly how growing biofilms shape their environments and fine-tune their internal architecture to fit their surroundings. The findings may have implications for a wide variety of applications, from fighting disease to engineering new types of living active materials.

“In the case of bacteria, they grow, divide, and apply forces to each other and their surroundings,” said Sulin Zhang, professor of engineering science and mechanics and of biomedical engineering at Penn State and corresponding author on a paper about the discovery, recently published in the journal Nature Physics. “As such, growing bacteria have the potential to shape the environment, changing the environment they live in, so we were interested in understanding the reciprocal interactions between the growing biofilm and environment where it grows.”

Zhang collaborated with an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale to study that interaction on all fronts: theoretically, experimentally and computationally. The researchers used biofilms made by Vibrio cholerae, which can cause cholera, as a model system to demonstrate the self-shaping and self-organizing capability of a 3D growing system.

In nature, biofilms tend to grow in tight, confined spaces, Zhang explained, so the team grew the biofilm between a soft hydrogel and a stiff glass substrate. They analyzed the growing biofilm using single-cell imaging, agent-based simulations and continuum mechanics theory. The researchers found that the biofilms shape both themselves and their boundary into an efficient formation known as “active nematics,” the arrangement of self-propelled molecules in parallel lines instead of layers.

“We found that biofilms take advantage of growth-induced stresses to shape their environment and create a nematic structure,” said Jing Yan, assistant professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at Yale University and co-corresponding author on the paper. “This takes us a lot closer to being able to control the morphology, the packing and ordering of the biofilm.”

Zhang explained that understanding the feedback loop between biofilm growth, growth generated stress, and its environment could pave the way for controlled growth of beneficial biofilms, the elimination of harmful ones and even the potential development of new classes of active growing materials that can respond to — and actively alter — their environment.”

Yan added that this is especially valuable information in the field of health care. Biofilms play a substantial role in disease growth in humans and animals, as they can evade the immune response. The coordinated nature of bacterial biofilms makes them highly resistant to conventional antibiotics, so they are extremely difficult to treat. In fact, the majority of chronic antibiotic resistant-infections are caused by biofilms, according to the American Society for Microbiology.  

“When a bacteria enter into the body, they grow into an infection as biofilms — and they’re in a confined environment: your gut,” Yan said.

A better understanding of how biofilm-driven disease can grow in such an environment will allow researchers to develop new ways to disrupt such growth, he added.

“What we’ve learned will aid in developing strategies to tackle these infections,” said Changhao Li, a doctoral candidate in computational mechanics at Penn State and co-author on the paper. “The phenomena discovered here could lead to new strategies to suppress the growth of harmful biofilms and give us the ability to design and program beneficial ones.”

The other authors on the paper are Japinder Nijjer, Qiuting Zhang and Jung-Shen B. Tai of Yale University; Mrityunjay Kothari, Thomas Henzel and Tal Cohen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Shuang Zhou of the University of New Hampshire. The National Institutes of Health and the Charles H. Revson Foundation funded this work.

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JOURNAL

Nature Physics

DOI

10.1038/s41567-023-02221-1 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Biofilms as self-shaping growing nematics

 

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Robert Newton Jr. to study African American fathers as proponents of children’s health

Dr. Newton secures a $214,000 grant from the NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities division for this study

Grant and Award Announcement

PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER

 

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​DR. ROBERT NEWTON JR. IS PROFESSOR OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & ETHNIC MINORITY HEALTH AT THE LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER IN BATON ROUGE, LA.

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CREDIT: MADISON PAGE, PBRC

Dr. Robert Newton Jr., Professor of Physical Activity & Ethnic Minority Health for Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was recently awarded a $214,000 grant to study the health of African American families, particularly exploring if fathers can serve as catalysts for their children’s health. The grant, which was awarded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities division of the National Institutes of Health, will be used for Dr. Newton’s proof of concept study Fathers and Children Exercising Together, or FACEiT. 

The study will analyze the degree to which fathers can influence their children’s health by incorporating exercise into family activities. In the first phase of development of the study, a focus group of African American fathers will be gathered to gauge interest in intervention to increase physical activity in their kids, what activities they feel would be most effective, and what time of day would work best with their families’ schedules. In particular, the study will target those fathers with children in the age range of 6 to 10 years old. In the second phase, the feedback gathered from the focus group will be incorporated into and inform a pre-developed intervention plan. 

“Fathers play a unique role in their children’s physical activity,” Dr. Newton said. “FACEiT will help us learn more about what these specific roles are, especially as they relate to African American fathers and the barriers they face to engaging in activity with their children. The study will also allow us to assess how social determinants of health factors influence African American father’s ability to engage in this type of intervention. I’m honored that the NIMHHD felt this study was worth their investment.” 

The third phase will be the intervention stage, which will compare three different groups. The first group will be a control, the second will include fathers who are given exercise instructions and then engage with their children and lead exercise regimens. The third group will mirror the second, with the inclusion of a community component. Dr. Newton has recruited the community group Fathers on a Mission, which will lead events where fathers and their children can participate in physical activities, such as bowling events or kayaking.  

“With the FACEiT study, Dr. Newton’s laboratory is the broader community, and his research is the health and wellbeing of our Baton Rouge neighbors,” said Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical. “This study will ideally address the health disparities that exist among African Americans and will encourage health behaviors simultaneously across two generations. Pennington Biomedical is proud to have Dr. Newton on our team, as he helps us fulfill our mission of putting science to work for a healthier Louisiana and a healthier world.” 

Statistics show that African American adolescents do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity. By understanding the barriers that prevent children from reaching optimal physical activities, fathers can help remove those barriers and engage in movement and exercise as well.  

"Fathers on a Mission is excited about the partnership with Pennington Biomedical Research Center as we strive to bring awareness to the importance of physical activity,” said Levar Robison, Founder and CEO of Fathers on a Mission. “Through the FACEiT study, we will offer and deliver physical activity interventions that will reduce the risk of health disparities around heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and obesity in ourselves and most of all in our children. This is a process that is needed, and this is a process that Fathers need to lead." 

FACEiT is structured to test health and exercise interventions in children because physical activity levels in African American children begin to drop off between the ages of 6 and 10. Establishing physical activity habits at an early age can ultimately reduce the risk of chronic diseases later in life.  

About the Pennington Biomedical Research Center
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Pennington Biomedical has the vision to lead the world in promoting metabolic health and eliminating metabolic disease through scientific discoveries that create solutions from cells to society.  The Center conducts basic, clinical, and population research, and is affiliated with LSU.

The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes over 480 employees within a network of 40 clinics and research laboratories, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Its scientists and physician/scientists are supported by research trainees, lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and other support personnel. Pennington Biomedical a state-of-the-art research facility on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge.

For more information, see www.pbrc.edu.

 

X-ray method enables micron-resolution imaging of living organisms over long time periods

By lowering the X-ray dose needed for imaging, new approach extends possibilities for biological and biomedical research

Peer-Reviewed Publication

OPTICA

 

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A NEW X-RAY IMAGING TECHNIQUE CAN PRODUCE DETAILED IMAGES OF LIVING ORGANISMS WITH A MUCH LOWER X-RAY DOSE THAN PREVIOUSLY POSSIBLE. THE RESEARCHERS USED THE NEW TECHNIQUE TO IMAGE TINY PARASITOID WASPS EMERGING FROM THEIR HOST EGGS FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES.

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CREDIT: REBECCA SPIECKER, KARLSRUHE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed an X-ray imaging technique that can produce detailed images of living organisms with a much lower X-ray dose than previously possible. The advance enables small organisms or other sensitive samples to be studied at high resolution over much longer periods, which could reveal new insights into a variety of dynamic processes.

The approach is based on phase contrast imaging, which relies not only on the absorption of X-rays in a sample, but also on the wave properties of X-rays. More precisely, it creates images from phase changes that occur as X-rays go through a specimen. “Previously, micrometer resolution X-ray phase contrast imaging of living organisms was only possible for a few seconds up to minutes because severe radiation damage would occur,” explained researcher team member Rebecca Spiecker from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. “We reduced the necessary X-ray dose by overcoming the current limitations of high-resolution imaging for dose-sensitive applications.”

In Optica, Optica Publishing Group’s journal for high-impact research, the researchers describe how they developed a new X-ray imaging system that uses dedicated highly-efficient X-ray optics and single-photon-counting detectors to boost the dose efficiency for full-field imaging at micrometer resolution. They demonstrated the benefit of the new technique by imaging tiny parasitoid wasps emerging from their host eggs for more than 30 minutes.

“We show that our method exhibits superior imaging performance compared to a conventional high-resolution detector,” said Spiecker. “This could be useful, for example, for capturing details of the development and behavior of small model organisms, such as Xenopus frog embryos, over a longer time scale than is currently possible.”

Better images with less radiation

X-ray imaging can reveal hidden structures and processes in living organisms.  However, it also exposes organisms to radiation that is harmful at high doses, limiting how long observations can last before damage occurs. This is aggravated by the fact that the detection efficiency of commonly used high-resolution detectors decreases with increasing resolution, which means that even higher X-ray doses are necessary to obtain a high-resolution image.

To overcome this challenge, the researchers developed a phase contrast imaging approach that directly magnifies the X-ray image rather than converting the X-ray image into a visible light image and then magnifying it, which is the typical method. This allowed them to use highly efficient large-area detectors while maintaining micrometer spatial resolution.

In the new imaging system, the researchers used a single-photon-counting imaging detector with a pixel size of 55 microns. The X-ray image is magnified behind the sample using crystal optics, known as a Bragg magnifier. The latter consists of two perfect silicon crystals to perform magnification.

“To achieve the highest possible dose efficiency for full-field X-ray imaging at micrometer resolution, we combine X-ray phase contrast, a Bragg magnifier and a single-photon-counting detector, all optimized for an optimal X-ray energy of 30 keV,” said Spiecker. “The concept of Bragg magnifiers dates back to the late 1970s, and although their potential for increasing dose efficiency has been noted, it has not been explored until now.”

After showing that their new system could attain a dose efficiency of more than 90% while providing a resolution of up to 1.3 microns, the researchers compared its performance to a conventional high-resolution detector system using the same sample, X-ray fluence and 30 keV X-ray energy. “At this energy, we showed that the detective quantum efficiency of our system exceeds the conventional system by over two orders of magnitude for the relevant high-resolution components of the image,” said Spiecker. “This results in better images and allows a drastic reduction in the X-ray dose in the sample.”

Imaging tiny insects

The researchers then used the system to perform a pilot behavioral study on living parasitoid wasps, which are widely used for biological pest control. Thanks to the minimal radiation exposure, they were able to capture images of the tiny wasps inside their host eggs for 30 minutes before the wasps finally emerged.

The researchers say that the method might also be useful for biomedical applications, such as gentle tomographic examination of biopsy samples. However, using a Bragg magnifier requires a monochromatic, coherent and collimated beam, which is available at X-ray synchrotron facilities. They are also continuing to improve the system to achieve a larger field of view and increased long-term mechanical stability for even longer measurement times.

Paper: R. Spiecker, P. Pfeiffer, A. Biswal, M. Shcherbinin, M. Spiecker, H. Hessdorfer, M. Hurst, Y. Zharov, V. Bellucci, T. Farago, M. Zuber, A. Herz, A. Cecilia, M. Czyzycki, C. S. Baraldi Dias, D. Novikov, L. Krogmann, E. Hamann, T. van de Kamp, T. Baumbach, “Dose-efficient in vivo X-ray phase contrast imaging at micrometer resolution by Bragg magnifiers,” 10, 12 (2023).

DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.500978

About Optica

Optica is an open-access journal dedicated to the rapid dissemination of high-impact peer-reviewed research across the entire spectrum of optics and photonics. Published monthly by Optica Publishing Group, the Journal provides a forum for pioneering research to be swiftly accessed by the international community, whether that research is theoretical or experimental, fundamental or applied. Optica maintains a distinguished editorial board of more than 60 associate editors from around the world and is overseen by Editor-in-Chief Prem Kumar, Northwestern University, USA. For more information, visit Optica.

About Optica Publishing Group (formerly OSA)

Optica Publishing Group is a division of Optica, the society advancing optics and photonics worldwide. It publishes the largest collection of peer-reviewed content in optics and photonics, including 18 prestigious journals, the society’s flagship member magazine, and papers from more than 835 conferences, including 6,500+ associated videos. With over 400,000 journal articles, conference papers and videos to search, discover and access, Optica Publishing Group represents the full range of research in the field from around the globe.

The new X-ray imaging technique uses a much lower X-ray dose thanks to two Bragg magnifier crystals (center) and a single-photon-counting detector (on the left). The sample is shown on the right.

CREDIT

Rebecca Spiecker, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Parasitoid wasps movie [VIDEO] | 

The researchers used the new technique to image tiny parasitoid wasps emerging from their host eggs. Even after 30 minutes of imaging, the wasps did not show any abnormalities in their behavior thanks to the minimal radiation exposure.

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JOURNAL

Optica

DOI

10.1364/OPTICA.500978 

ARTICLE TITLE

Dose-efficient in vivo X-ray phase contrast imaging at micrometer resolution by Bragg magnifiers

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Dec-2023

Disclaimer: AAAS 

 

US Mental health crisis highlights access challenges

Poll finds many psychologists face capacity strains as patients present with increasingly severe symptoms

Reports and Proceedings

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

The ongoing mental health crisis is causing significant challenges for many psychologists as they grapple with demand fueled by patients presenting with increasingly severe symptoms year after year, according to APA’s 2023 Practitioner Pulse Survey.

The survey, which was completed by 561 licensed practicing psychologists between Aug. 30 and Sept. 29, 2023, found that not only did more than half of psychologists (52%) say that they were seeing an increase in severity of symptoms among their patients, but 41% said that they were seeing an increase in the number of sessions spent treating each patient, which may reduce their capacity to accept new patients.

Similarly, more than half (56%) said that they had no openings for new patients. And more than two-thirds (69%) of psychologists who maintained a waitlist said that the average wait was up to three months for a first appointment, while 31% said average wait times were longer than three months. Psychologists reported increasing demand for treatment of certain mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders (68%) and trauma- and stressor-related disorders (50%), among those who treat those disorders.

"As the mental health crisis continues, psychologists are under pressure,” said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. "These findings underscore the sustained demand for care, led by increased severity of symptoms and extended treatment courses, compounded by increases year after year. This paints a clear picture of psychologists operating at the brink of their capacity. To better meet demand, it is essential that we develop comprehensive public health strategies that reach people throughout their lifespan and robustly address behavioral health alongside physical health.”

The survey found that the psychologist workforce is already adapting to meet the changing needs of the population -- for example, as part of integrated care teams or in medical settings. More than 4 in 5 psychologists (86%) said they have worked alongside other health care providers, with 59% saying they do so frequently or very frequently. Collaborating providers included psychiatrists (76% of psychologists said they worked with them, with 38% doing so frequently); other physicians (45%, with 17% doing so frequently); occupational therapists (30%, with 6% doing so frequently); physician assistants (41%, with 11% doing so frequently); community health workers (30%, with 4% doing so frequently); and speech language pathologists (28%, with 5% frequent collaborators). Alongside mental health concerns, psychologists reported treating patients with physical conditions, including 50% treating patients with chronic pain, 42% treating obesity or weight conditions, 27% some symptoms of cancer, and 25% high blood pressure.

“Integrated care, where psychologists work on health care teams with other providers, is one way that we can expand access to care, prioritize preventive care and find ways to better meet the biological, psychological and social needs of the patients,” said Evans. “We must also support and expand the mental health workforce, foster innovation and technology, and support psychologists in extending their reach in the communities in which they live and work.”

Psychologists have shown themselves to be adaptable, changing their work habits during the pandemic to include fully remote or hybrid practices. Only 21% are now offering fully remote practices (down from a peak of 64% in 2020), according to the poll, yet more than two-thirds (67%) are now working in hybrid practices seeing some patients in person and others remotely.

More than one-third (36%) of psychologists reported experiencing burnout and 1 in 5 psychologists (21%) said that they were planning to reduce their practice hours in the next 12 months. Yet nearly three-quarters (73%) said that they were able to practice self-care and nearly two-thirds (63%) said that they were able to maintain a positive work-life balance.

METHODOLOGY

APA’s 2023 Practitioner Pulse Survey is one in a series of surveys conducted annually since 2020. This year’s survey was distributed via email to a random sample of 16,557 licensed psychologists in the United States from Aug. 30 to Sept. 29, 2023. A total of 561 responded to the survey.

A full methodology is available.

 

Wearable ultrasound monitor can aid rehabilitation from injury #Acoustics23

A new approach to ultrasound imaging can provide real-time insights into muscle dynamics

Reports and Proceedings

ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

 

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A WEARABLE ULTRASOUND MONITOR CAN PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO DYNAMIC MUSCLE MOVEMENT DURING ACTIVITIES LIKE JUMPING.

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CREDIT: PARAG CHITNIS

SYDNEY, Dec. 5, 2023 – Millions suffer from musculoskeletal injuries every year, and the recovery process can often be long and difficult. Patients typically undergo rehabilitation, slowly rebuilding muscle strength as their injuries heal. Medical professionals routinely evaluate a patient’s progress via a series of tasks and exercises. However, because of the dynamic nature of these exercises, obtaining a clear picture of real-time muscle function is extremely challenging.

Parag Chitnis of George Mason University led a team that developed a wearable ultrasound system that can produce clinically relevant information about muscle function during dynamic physical activity. He will present his work Dec. 5 at 5:00 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, as part of Acoustics 2023 running Dec. 4-8 at the International Convention Centre Sydney.

Many medical technologies can give doctors a window into the inner workings of a patient’s body, but few can be used while that patient is moving. A wearable ultrasound monitor can move with the patient and provide an unprecedented level of insight into body dynamics.

“For instance, when an individual is performing a specific exercise for rehabilitation, our devices can be used to ensure that the target muscle is actually being activated and used correctly,” said Chitnis. “Other applications include providing athletes with insights into their physical fitness and performance, assessing and guiding recovery of motor function in stroke patients, and assessing balance and stability in elderly populations during routine everyday tasks.”

Designing a wearable ultrasound device took much more than simply strapping an existing ultrasound monitor to a patient. Chitnis and his team reinvented ultrasound technology nearly from scratch to produce the results they needed.

“We had to completely change the paradigm of ultrasound imaging,” said Chitnis. “Traditionally, ultrasound systems transmit short-duration pulses, and the echo signals are used to make clinically usefully images. Our systems use a patented approach that relies on transmission of long-duration chirps, which allows us to perform ultrasound sensing using the same components one might find in their car radio.”

This modified approach allowed the team to design a simpler, cheaper system that could be miniaturized and powered by batteries. This let them design an ultrasound monitor with a small, portable form factor that could be attached to a patient.

Soon, Chitnis hopes to further improve his device and develop software tools to more quickly interpret and analyze the ultrasound signals.

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----------------------- MORE MEETING INFORMATION -----------------------

 

The Acoustical Society of America is joining the Australian Acoustical Society to co-host Acoustics 2023 in Sydney. This collaborative event will incorporate the Western Pacific Acoustics Conference and the Pacific Rim Underwater Acoustics Conference.

Main meeting website: https://acoustics23sydney.org/  
Technical program: https://eppro01.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL23     

ASA PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA’s Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/. 

LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS

ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the meeting or virtual press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY

The Australian Acoustical Society (AAS) is the peak technical society for individuals working in acoustics in Australia. The AAS aims to promote and advance the science and practice of acoustics in all its branches to the wider community and provide support to acousticians. Its diverse membership is made up from academia, consultancies, industry, equipment manufacturers and retailers, and all levels of Government. The Society supports research and provides regular forums for those who practice or study acoustics across a wide range of fields The principal activities of the Society are technical meetings held by each State Division, annual conferences which are held by the State Divisions and the ASNZ in rotation, and publication of the journal Acoustics Australia. https://www.acoustics.org.au/ 

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