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BackgroundThe association between illness perceptions and the effectiveness of patients' illness-management strategies has been supported across a range of medical and psychiatric disorders. Few studies have examined these variables or their association in bipolar disorder (BD). This study examined the main and interactive associations between illness perceptions and one important illness management strategy - social rhythms stability on mood symptom severity in adults with BD.MethodsA cross-sectional study with 131 patients with BD in Taiwan was conducted using clinician- and patient-rated mood symptoms, self-reported illness perceptions, and a measure of daily and nightly social rhythms.ResultsIllness perceptions were associated with mood symptom severity, but social rhythms were not. Unfavorable illness perceptions (e.g., beliefs of experiencing more BD symptoms, having stronger emotional responses to the illness) were associated with more severe mood symptoms. Favorable illness perceptions (e.g., beliefs of being able to understand and control the illness) were associated with less severe mood symptoms, with personal control as the strongest correlate of mood symptom severity. Finally, social rhythm stability moderated the relationship between unfavorable illness perceptions and clinician-rated manic symptoms.LimitationsThe cross-sectional design limits our ability to make causal conclusions. Also, the effects pertain to patients in remission and may not generalize to more severely ill or hospitalized bipolar patients.ConclusionsThis study indicates that in patients with BD, illness perceptions are associated with symptom severity. Interventions to enhance favorable IPs and reduce unfavorable IPs may improve mood outcomes, particularly when patients have adopted regular social rhythms.

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: Parenting experiences are a great challenge but also a meaningful achievement for mothers diagnosed with schizophrenia (MDWSs).Most previous studies focused on the parenting experiences of Chinese mothers diagnosed with depression rather than those diagnosed with schizophrenia, who usually experience psychiatric symptoms. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: Unlike in Western society, Chinese society is characterised by a family‐centred culture. This study insightfully explores MDWSs' parenting and family life experiences addressing their intrapersonal mindsets, interpersonal connections with family members across generations and extrapersonal roles such as traditional social expectations as a mother, wife and daughter‐in‐law.While Western studies have mainly focused on MDWSs' personal resilience, this study insightfully explored MDWSs' resilient dimensions including their personal, familial and cultural issues within the Chinese society. What are the implications for practice?: This study develops a comprehensive and professional understanding of the parenting experiences and family interactions of MDWSs who struggle to achieve their motherly role and re‐establish connections with intimate family members.The findings highlight the following important considerations when offering family‐based nursing cares: (1) assess power relationships, familial dynamics and cultural influences between MDWSs and their family members; (2) extend family members' involvement, such as parents‐in‐law, while offering psychoeducation to MDWSs and their family members. Introduction: In Chinese culture, raising the next generation is recognised as a crucial family matter involving intergenerational participation. Mothers diagnosed with schizophrenia (MDWSs) usually experience high stress due to psychiatric symptoms, different parenting values across generations and traditional expectations associated with motherly roles. MDWSs need urgent professional assistance. Aim: To explore MDWSs' parenting experiences and family life in Chinese cultural contexts. Method: In‐depth interviews were conducted with 20 MDWSs. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analyses. Results: The superordinate theme was identified as 'You are not a qualified mother'. Three major themes were elicited: experiencing crises in parenting, family life and self‐stability; striving to be a good mother and wife under humiliation; and developing wisdom and courage to move forward. Discussion: A dehumanised attitude of family members in a paternalistic culture was found. While Western society focuses on personal resilience and family‐based nursing care for nuclear families, Chinese society intensively focuses on MDWSs' relationship with nuclear family members as well as extended family members such as parents‐in‐law. Implications for Practice: The results highlighted the significance of culturally sensitive nursing care for MDWSs and family‐centred psychoeducation that clarifies familial dynamics and improves effective communication between MDWSs and their family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a hybrid ARQ scheme which uses QPSK modulation for the first transmission and BPSK modulation for retransmissions. The throughput performance of the proposed ARQ scheme is better that those of ARQ schemes purely using QPSK modulation or purely using BPSK modulation for transmissions. Furthermore, the proposed scheme does not require any operation of error correction as usually required in hybrid ARQ schemes. Therefore, the ARQ scheme proposed in this paper can be easily implemented.

Background: The ideology of recovery addresses the autonomy of patients with mental illness and their ability to reconstruct a normal life. Empirical knowledge of this process of recovery and related factors remains unclear., Purpose: To assess the process of recovery and related factors in patients with mental illness., Methods: This cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted on a convenience sample in a psychiatric hospital. Two-hundred and fifty patients with mental illness were recruited and were assessed using 3 instruments: Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR), Perceived Psychiatric Stigma Scale (PPSS), and Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, χ 2 , analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression analysis., Results: Most of the participants were male, middle-aged, unmarried, educated to the senior high school level, employed, receiving home-care treatment, and diagnosed with schizophrenia. Those who were unemployed, living in a community rehabilitative house, and living in the community, respectively, earned relatively higher recovery scores (p < .05). The total scores of QPR and the 3 subscales were negatively correlated with PPSS (p < .01) and positively correlated with PSPS (p < .01; p < .05). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the factors of education, employment, having received community rehabilitative models, and stigma, respectively, significantly explained the recovery capacity of patients with mental illness., Conclusions: Community psychiatric nurses should provide care to help employed patients adapt to stresses in the workplace, strengthen their stigma-coping strategies, and promote public awareness of mental health issues by increasing public knowledge and acceptance of mental illness in order to minimize patient-perceived stigma and facilitate their recovery.