Effects of adjunctive brexpiprazole on calmness and life engagement in major depressive disorder: post hoc analysis of patient-reported outcomes from clinical trial exit interviews

Background Though often overlooked, calming patients and increasing their life engagement are key factors in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that adjunctive brexpiprazole increases calmness and life engagement among patients with MDD, based on clinical trial exit interviews. Methods This was a pooled analysis of exit interview data from three exploratory, open-label studies of adjunctive brexpiprazole 1–3 mg/day. The studies enrolled 105 outpatients with MDD (DSM-IV-TR criteria), a current depressive episode, and inadequate response to antidepressant treatment during the current episode. Patients were interviewed if they completed the end-of-treatment visit (Week 6 or Week 12, depending on the study). Exit interviews took the form of semi-structured telephone interviews in which patients were asked mostly qualitative questions about their symptoms prior to the start of the study, and about improvements they had noted during treatment. Interview transcripts were reviewed and codes were assigned to calmness and life engagement vocabulary, allowing aggregation of the frequency of improvement in various domains. Results 79.8% (83/104) of patients described improvements consistent with at least one calmness term, most commonly feeling less anxious (46.2%) or less irritable (44.2%). A four-domain concept of patient life engagement was developed in which 88.6% (93/105) of patients described improvements consistent with at least one domain, specifically, emotional (77.1%), physical (75.2%), social (41.9%), and/or cognitive (36.2%). Of the patients who described improvement in calmness, 96.4% (80/83) also described improvement in life engagement. Conclusions Analysis of exit interview data suggests that patients were calmer and more engaged with life following treatment with adjunctive brexpiprazole. Thus, adjunctive brexpiprazole may provide a benefit on subjective patient outcomes in addition to the improvement in depressive symptoms shown by clinical rating scale data. Trial Registration: Data used in this post hoc analysis came from ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02012218, NCT02013531, NCT02013609.

ViewpointExploring leadership through literature - an audacious experiment

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to address the following question: What can novels reveal about what leadership nonfiction sources miss or obscure?Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the benefits that are derived from the use of literature in the examination of leadership, compares and contrasts three novel experiments in the examination of literature and leadership, and examines the impact of one approach as reflected in student assignments and exit interviews.FindingsStudent reflection papers morphed from descriptive reviews to reflections expressed through poetry, artwork and personal experiences. Students also deepened their views on what leadership is and means. Exit interviews revealed student significant reflection on personal views in a number of areas. The longitudinal follow up of students expanded their flexibility and ability to listen and understand how and why people approach leadership in different ways. They also felt it increased their openness to new or different approaches and encouraged them to think more independently.Practical implicationsOne implication of the approach of this class is how the authors embraced questions to guide the students and faculty. Instead of listing topics and assigning categorical meaning, the approach of the class was organized around questions, such as, “is leadership real or imagined? Am I ready to take responsibility?Social implicationsThe power of storytelling is unmistakable. The value of storytelling is that it allows the reader to escape from the day-to-day challenges we face to find how others are facing challenges sometimes very similar to our own.Originality/valueThe article compares and contracts three experiments in the examination of literature and leadership. The paper then examines one approach to literature and leadership in terms of the impact on students (papers, exit interview and longitudinal follow-up). Findings are assessed with the works of Gardner, Bennis and Hartley stressing the possibilities of storytelling as a unique approach to studying and practicing leadership.

PERAN KUALITAS KEHIDUPAN KERJA, WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT, DAN PERSEPSI PELUANG KERJA TERHADAP INTENSI PINDAH KERJA

PT. X mengalami penurunan target penjualan yang salah satunya disebabkan oleh tingginya tingkat turnover pada karyawan mereka dalam kurun waktu tiga tahun. Hasil exit interview PT. X menunjukkan bahwa alasan-alasan mereka yang keluar meliputi tidak cocok dengan atasan, administrasi perusahaan yang terlalu rumit dan bertele-tele, dukungan organisasi yang kurang dari perusahaan, kurangnya keamanan dan keuntungan yang didapat di perusahaan, peran ganda antara keluarga kerja, serta adanya peluang karier di luar PT. X. Alasan tersebut termasuk ke dalam dimensi kualitas kehidupan kerja, work-family conflict, dan persepsi peluang kerja. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, peneliti menganalisis peran kualitas kehidupan kerja, work-family conflict, dan persepsi peluang kerja terhadap intensi pindah kerja. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif deskriptif dengan total populasi 62 karyawan PT. X. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan regresi linear ganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat peran kualitas kehidupan kerja dengan nilai R2 = 0,297 (p < 0,05), peran work-family conflict dengan nilai R2 = 0,138 (p < 0,05), dan persepsi peluang kerja dengan nilai R2 = 0,233 (p < 0,05) terhadap intensi pindah kerja. Diperolehnya nilai F = 12,411 (p < 0,05) dan nilai R2 = 0,391 menunjukkan bahwa terdapat peran kualitas kehidupan kerja, work-family conflict, dan persepsi peluang kerja terhadap intensi pindah kerja karyawan PT. X dengan kontribusi sebesar 39,1%. Dengan demikian, ketiga variabel tersebut secara bersama-sama memengaruhi intensi pindah kerja karyawan PT. X.

Exit interviews as a tool to reduce parting employees’ complaints about their former employer and to ensure residual commitment

Purpose According to previous research, exit interviews do not fulfil the purpose of generating useful feedback from parting employees. According to signaling theory, they might, however, serve a different purpose: to leave one last good impression on parting employees, and the aim of this study was to test this. Design/methodology/approach A survey was administered to a sample of 164 German employees. Findings Consistent with arguments based on signaling theory, those who experienced an exit interview reported more residual affective commitment toward their former employer and less willingness to complain about it, and these effects were mediated by interpersonal fairness perceptions. In addition, the probability of having an exit interview was found to depend on the resignation style of employees. Research limitations/implications This new perspective on exit interviews can renew the interest in studying how organizations manage the offboarding process. Practical implications This study advises employers to conduct “exit conversations” (as two-way interactions rather than one-way interviews) and to carefully plan the exit phase. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that proposes a signaling theory perspective of exit interviews and that links exit interviews with the literature on resignation styles.

Analyzing Stimuli Presentations and Exit-Interview Protocols to Improve Wearable Eye-Tracking Data Collection Guidelines for Reading Research

Setting up an eye tracking experiment involves multitier processes that cover important issues such as developing the data collection guidelines, establishing data analysis protocols, and giving meaning to data. Although eye tracking handbooks have established imperative discussion on how the data should be analysed and written, there is still a dearth in the literature on data collection guidelines caused by the variety of features in different kinds of eye trackers. In this study, the researchers review the use of a wearable eye tracking apparatus with authentic materials and interview protocols. Exemplified through a preliminary study conducted on Year Six students in a primary school that investigates the internal processes of reading ESL texts, the significance and implications of using a wearable eye-tracking apparatus with a single point calibration are reported to improve the data collection guidelines. Relatedly, considerations for research procedures and instrument designs are also made in this paper.

Affordability of Essential Medicines and Associated Factors in Public Health Facilities of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Background. Affordability is one of the key dimensions for access to essential medicines, and poor affordability impedes access to treatment in health facilities. The concept of affordability is associated with the issue of impoverishment and catastrophic expenditure. The provision of affordable and appropriate essential medicines is a vital component of a well-functioning health system. Objective. The objective of this study was to assess the perceived affordability of essential medicines and associated factors in public health facilities of the Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods. A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The study was conducted from March 28 to April 30, 2018, in the public health facilities of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Based on the WHO operational package for assessing, monitoring, and evaluating a country’s pharmaceutical situations, health facilities were selected from each selected district using lower-, middle-, and higher-level criteria, making a total of 30 health facilities. For the exit interview, the total sample size was proportionally allocated for each of the selected health facilities. The data from the patient exit interview were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. The data were checked for their completeness, edited, and coded. Following this, they were entered into EpiData 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed using the backward LR method to identify factors independently associated with dependent variables. Result. Six hundred and six patients participated in the study with a response rate of 97%. Among the total patients, 63.9% characterized the prescribed medicines as not affordable. The level of the health facility [AOR (95% CI) = 3.848(2.144,6.905) and p ≤ 0.001 ], number of dispensed medicines [AOR (95% CI) = 0.326(0.215–0.493) and p ≤ 0.001 ], occupation [AOR (95% CI) = 3.354(1.793–6.274) and p ≤ 0.001 ], family income [AOR (95% CI) = 3.897(1.497–10.145) and p = 0.005 ], place of residence [AOR (95% CI) = 2.100(1.331–3.315) and p = 0.001 ] and number of economically dependent family members [AOR (95% CI) = 2.206(1.165–4.175) and p = 0.015 ] were significantly associated with the perceived affordability of essential medicines. Conclusion. The average cost of dispensed medicines in the surveyed health facilities was not affordable for most of the patients. We recommend both social- and community-based health insurance schemes should be expanded to the study area.