Liesbeth Tip | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)

Papers by Liesbeth Tip

Journal of Music, Health, and Wellbeing, Oct 27, 2021

In May 2020, the Spheres of Singing conference, which was initially intended as an in-person even... more In May 2020, the Spheres of Singing conference, which was initially intended as an in-person event, was instead hosted online. A key ambition was to make the conference accessible for both practitioners and researchers from various disciplines. The conference exceeded in its aim in several ways. It was free and featured contributions from around the world, including 45 presentations, four workshops, six open discussions and three lecture-recitals. The interdisciplinary array of sessions included: health and wellbeing, practice research, musicology, teaching, conducting, pedagogy, and virtual choirs. In terms of attendee interest, all 450 live attendance tickets sold out in 24 hours, with additional tickets made available to allow asynchronous attendance. Such enthusiasm demonstrates an interdisciplinary event on singing was both timely and necessary. The organisers developed a survey to gather feedback, measure impact, and help determine future directions. A significant finding is that practitioners were motivated to attend, specifically because it was an online event. However, there were challenges caused by moving the conference online, particularly when it came to relying on technology and integrating live singing activities. By analysing the feedback gathered from delegates, the article will consider three areas: creating an inviting event for practitioners and researchers, technological challenges when hosting an online conference on singing, and integrating live, synchronous singing activities into an online conference.

This short commentary poses that research on cognitive decline using fMRI may benefit from taking... more This short commentary poses that research on cognitive decline using fMRI may benefit from taking into account breathing patterns related to psychopathology and individual habits. This draft has been submitted to the Journal of Clinical Images and Medical Case Reports on 25-03-2022.

Short commentary Neuronal brain activity is assumed to be reflected by blood level oxygenation le... more Short commentary Neuronal brain activity is assumed to be reflected by blood level oxygenation levels, also known as BOLD signal, measured with fMRI. A scan of the literature points to both oxygen and carbon dioxide blood levels effects on BOLD fMRI. The roles of oxygen (O 2 ; hypoxia/hypoxemia, hyperoxia) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ; hypocapnia, hypercapnia) in neuronal activity and BOLD signal are complex and still under investigation [1,2]. Inspiration while varying levels of O 2 and CO 2 in the air have been used to investigate resting state fMRI [3].

Anthrozoös

Contact with animals has been increasingly recognized as being beneficial to mental health and we... more Contact with animals has been increasingly recognized as being beneficial to mental health and wellbeing due to their therapeutic function, with "animal-assisted therapies" gaining in popularity. There is less research exploring how companion animals within the home impact upon mental health and wellbeing. This qualitative study explores people's experiences of the role of their pets in reducing or exacerbating their mental health symptomology and general wellbeing. One hundred and nineteen adults, 41 with a diagnosed mental health condition, and 70 recently struggling with their mental health, completed an online survey with open and closed questions to explore their experiences of their pets and mental health. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes were identified. Six themes encompassed benefits of pets; increased hedonic tone; increased motivation and behavioral activation; reduced anxiety symptoms and panic attacks; increased social connections and reduced loneliness; reduced risk behaviors; and coping and aiding the recovery process. One theme encompassed negative impacts: increased negative feelings and emotional strain. Notably, pets reduced urges of self-harm, and prevented onsets of panic attacks and suicide attempts. Both direct mechanisms (e.g., lowering physiological anxiety through physical touch) and indirect mechanisms (e.g., elevating mood through humor, increased mindfulness and disrupting rumination) were identified. These findings encapsulate the complex roles that pets can play in people's mental health and wellbeing, and highlights that even when the human-pet relationship is regarded positively, pets cannot "treat" mental health difficulties, and should not be viewed as such. Mental health practitioners should be aware and considerate of the importance of pets in people's lives as well as individual differences in the potential capability of pets to both reduce or exacerbate mental health symptomology and overall wellbeing. KEYWORDS Anxiety; depression; humananimal interaction; mental health; pets Mental health problems are common in the general population with an estimated one in six people in any past week experiencing a common mental health difficulty (McManus et al., 2016). Poor mental health is the main cause of the overall disease burden

BMC Psychiatry

Background: Patients within psychiatric rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and enduri... more Background: Patients within psychiatric rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and enduring difficulties, and are frequently described as 'treatment resistant'. This group have diagnoses of major mental health conditions, most commonly schizophrenia, often alongside a history of complex trauma, co-morbid alcohol/ substance misuse, and cognitive impairment. There is no known effective medical treatment other than Clozapine in this patient group, however, there is preliminary evidence that mindfulness can help individuals with psychosis by improving their ability to cope with stressful internal experiences. This study aimed to determine if mindfulness practice groups are an acceptable therapeutic intervention in an in-patient rehabilitation setting. The study also aimed to monitor the well-being of those who participated. Methods: Mindfulness practice groups were offered three times weekly on a 15-bedded rehabilitation ward in a psychiatric hospital over 5 months, and weekly in a second ward over an 18 month period. The sessions were delivered by Clinical Psychologists in accordance with adaptations for a psychosis population. Attendance data were gathered on both wards and additional measures of well-being were collected on one ward. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of patients, group facilitators, and staff, to provide supplementary information about the acceptability of the intervention. Results: In both wards around two thirds (65, 67%) of in-patients attended at least one group and smaller proportion (around a third) went on to attend regularly. There was no discernible impact on well-being using the Warwick-Edinburgh well-being scale. Qualitative interviews suggested a number of benefits to individuals attending as well as the potential for groups to enhance the therapeutic culture within wards. Conclusions: Clinical guidelines suggest that all patients with a diagnosis of psychosis should have access to psychological therapies, but delivering psychological therapy within an in-patient rehabilitation setting can be challenging. This preliminary feasibility study suggests that mindfulness practice groups are an acceptable intervention, and that further research to look at the effectiveness of mindfulness for symptoms of treatmentresistant psychosis is both possible and merited.

Background Patients within Psychiatric Rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and endurin... more Background Patients within Psychiatric Rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and enduring difficulties, and are frequently described as ‘treatment resistant’. This group have diagnoses of major mental health conditions, most commonly schizophrenia, often alongside a history of complex trauma, co-morbid alcohol/ substance misuse, and cognitive impairment. There is no known effective medical treatment other than Clozapine in this patient group, however, there is preliminary evidence that mindfulness can help individuals with psychosis by improving their ability to cope with stressful internal experiences. This study aimed to determine if mindfulness practice groups are an acceptable therapeutic intervention in an in-patient rehabilitation setting. The study also aimed to monitor the well-being of those who participated. Methods Mindfulness practice groups were offered three times weekly on a 15-bedded rehabilitation ward in a psychiatric hospital over five months, and weekly ...

The lancet. Psychiatry, Jan 9, 2018

Although clozapine is the treatment of choice for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, 30-40% of p... more Although clozapine is the treatment of choice for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, 30-40% of patients have an insufficient response, and others are unable to tolerate it. Evidence for any augmentation strategies is scarce. We aimed to determine whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia. We did a pragmatic, parallel group, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial in community-based and inpatient mental health services in five sites in the UK. Patients with schizophrenia who were unable to tolerate clozapine, or whose symptoms did not respond to the drug, were randomly assigned 1:1 by use of randomised-permuted blocks of size four or six, stratified by centre, to either CBT plus treatment as usual or treatment as usual alone. Research assistants were masked to allocation to protect against rater bias and allegiance bias. The primary outcome was the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at 21 m...

Music & Science

Research on choirs and other forms of group singing has been conducted for several decades and th... more Research on choirs and other forms of group singing has been conducted for several decades and there has been a recent focus on the potential health and well-being benefits, particularly in amateur singers. Experimental, quantitative, and qualitative studies show evidence of a range of biopsychosocial and well-being benefits to singers; however, there are many challenges to rigor and replicability. To support the advances of research into group singing, the authors met and discussed theoretical and methodological issues to be addressed in future studies. The authors are from five countries and represent the following disciplinary perspectives: music psychology, music therapy, community music, clinical psychology, educational and developmental psychology, evolutionary psychology, health psychology, social psychology, and public health. This article summarizes our collective thoughts in relation to the priority questions for future group singing research, theoretical frameworks, poten...

Journal of Music, Health, and Wellbeing, Oct 27, 2021

In May 2020, the Spheres of Singing conference, which was initially intended as an in-person even... more In May 2020, the Spheres of Singing conference, which was initially intended as an in-person event, was instead hosted online. A key ambition was to make the conference accessible for both practitioners and researchers from various disciplines. The conference exceeded in its aim in several ways. It was free and featured contributions from around the world, including 45 presentations, four workshops, six open discussions and three lecture-recitals. The interdisciplinary array of sessions included: health and wellbeing, practice research, musicology, teaching, conducting, pedagogy, and virtual choirs. In terms of attendee interest, all 450 live attendance tickets sold out in 24 hours, with additional tickets made available to allow asynchronous attendance. Such enthusiasm demonstrates an interdisciplinary event on singing was both timely and necessary. The organisers developed a survey to gather feedback, measure impact, and help determine future directions. A significant finding is that practitioners were motivated to attend, specifically because it was an online event. However, there were challenges caused by moving the conference online, particularly when it came to relying on technology and integrating live singing activities. By analysing the feedback gathered from delegates, the article will consider three areas: creating an inviting event for practitioners and researchers, technological challenges when hosting an online conference on singing, and integrating live, synchronous singing activities into an online conference.

This short commentary poses that research on cognitive decline using fMRI may benefit from taking... more This short commentary poses that research on cognitive decline using fMRI may benefit from taking into account breathing patterns related to psychopathology and individual habits. This draft has been submitted to the Journal of Clinical Images and Medical Case Reports on 25-03-2022.

Short commentary Neuronal brain activity is assumed to be reflected by blood level oxygenation le... more Short commentary Neuronal brain activity is assumed to be reflected by blood level oxygenation levels, also known as BOLD signal, measured with fMRI. A scan of the literature points to both oxygen and carbon dioxide blood levels effects on BOLD fMRI. The roles of oxygen (O 2 ; hypoxia/hypoxemia, hyperoxia) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ; hypocapnia, hypercapnia) in neuronal activity and BOLD signal are complex and still under investigation [1,2]. Inspiration while varying levels of O 2 and CO 2 in the air have been used to investigate resting state fMRI [3].

Anthrozoös

Contact with animals has been increasingly recognized as being beneficial to mental health and we... more Contact with animals has been increasingly recognized as being beneficial to mental health and wellbeing due to their therapeutic function, with "animal-assisted therapies" gaining in popularity. There is less research exploring how companion animals within the home impact upon mental health and wellbeing. This qualitative study explores people's experiences of the role of their pets in reducing or exacerbating their mental health symptomology and general wellbeing. One hundred and nineteen adults, 41 with a diagnosed mental health condition, and 70 recently struggling with their mental health, completed an online survey with open and closed questions to explore their experiences of their pets and mental health. Through thematic analysis, seven key themes were identified. Six themes encompassed benefits of pets; increased hedonic tone; increased motivation and behavioral activation; reduced anxiety symptoms and panic attacks; increased social connections and reduced loneliness; reduced risk behaviors; and coping and aiding the recovery process. One theme encompassed negative impacts: increased negative feelings and emotional strain. Notably, pets reduced urges of self-harm, and prevented onsets of panic attacks and suicide attempts. Both direct mechanisms (e.g., lowering physiological anxiety through physical touch) and indirect mechanisms (e.g., elevating mood through humor, increased mindfulness and disrupting rumination) were identified. These findings encapsulate the complex roles that pets can play in people's mental health and wellbeing, and highlights that even when the human-pet relationship is regarded positively, pets cannot "treat" mental health difficulties, and should not be viewed as such. Mental health practitioners should be aware and considerate of the importance of pets in people's lives as well as individual differences in the potential capability of pets to both reduce or exacerbate mental health symptomology and overall wellbeing. KEYWORDS Anxiety; depression; humananimal interaction; mental health; pets Mental health problems are common in the general population with an estimated one in six people in any past week experiencing a common mental health difficulty (McManus et al., 2016). Poor mental health is the main cause of the overall disease burden

BMC Psychiatry

Background: Patients within psychiatric rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and enduri... more Background: Patients within psychiatric rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and enduring difficulties, and are frequently described as 'treatment resistant'. This group have diagnoses of major mental health conditions, most commonly schizophrenia, often alongside a history of complex trauma, co-morbid alcohol/ substance misuse, and cognitive impairment. There is no known effective medical treatment other than Clozapine in this patient group, however, there is preliminary evidence that mindfulness can help individuals with psychosis by improving their ability to cope with stressful internal experiences. This study aimed to determine if mindfulness practice groups are an acceptable therapeutic intervention in an in-patient rehabilitation setting. The study also aimed to monitor the well-being of those who participated. Methods: Mindfulness practice groups were offered three times weekly on a 15-bedded rehabilitation ward in a psychiatric hospital over 5 months, and weekly in a second ward over an 18 month period. The sessions were delivered by Clinical Psychologists in accordance with adaptations for a psychosis population. Attendance data were gathered on both wards and additional measures of well-being were collected on one ward. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of patients, group facilitators, and staff, to provide supplementary information about the acceptability of the intervention. Results: In both wards around two thirds (65, 67%) of in-patients attended at least one group and smaller proportion (around a third) went on to attend regularly. There was no discernible impact on well-being using the Warwick-Edinburgh well-being scale. Qualitative interviews suggested a number of benefits to individuals attending as well as the potential for groups to enhance the therapeutic culture within wards. Conclusions: Clinical guidelines suggest that all patients with a diagnosis of psychosis should have access to psychological therapies, but delivering psychological therapy within an in-patient rehabilitation setting can be challenging. This preliminary feasibility study suggests that mindfulness practice groups are an acceptable intervention, and that further research to look at the effectiveness of mindfulness for symptoms of treatmentresistant psychosis is both possible and merited.

Background Patients within Psychiatric Rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and endurin... more Background Patients within Psychiatric Rehabilitation services have multiple, complex and enduring difficulties, and are frequently described as ‘treatment resistant’. This group have diagnoses of major mental health conditions, most commonly schizophrenia, often alongside a history of complex trauma, co-morbid alcohol/ substance misuse, and cognitive impairment. There is no known effective medical treatment other than Clozapine in this patient group, however, there is preliminary evidence that mindfulness can help individuals with psychosis by improving their ability to cope with stressful internal experiences. This study aimed to determine if mindfulness practice groups are an acceptable therapeutic intervention in an in-patient rehabilitation setting. The study also aimed to monitor the well-being of those who participated. Methods Mindfulness practice groups were offered three times weekly on a 15-bedded rehabilitation ward in a psychiatric hospital over five months, and weekly ...

The lancet. Psychiatry, Jan 9, 2018

Although clozapine is the treatment of choice for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, 30-40% of p... more Although clozapine is the treatment of choice for treatment-refractory schizophrenia, 30-40% of patients have an insufficient response, and others are unable to tolerate it. Evidence for any augmentation strategies is scarce. We aimed to determine whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia. We did a pragmatic, parallel group, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial in community-based and inpatient mental health services in five sites in the UK. Patients with schizophrenia who were unable to tolerate clozapine, or whose symptoms did not respond to the drug, were randomly assigned 1:1 by use of randomised-permuted blocks of size four or six, stratified by centre, to either CBT plus treatment as usual or treatment as usual alone. Research assistants were masked to allocation to protect against rater bias and allegiance bias. The primary outcome was the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at 21 m...

Music & Science

Research on choirs and other forms of group singing has been conducted for several decades and th... more Research on choirs and other forms of group singing has been conducted for several decades and there has been a recent focus on the potential health and well-being benefits, particularly in amateur singers. Experimental, quantitative, and qualitative studies show evidence of a range of biopsychosocial and well-being benefits to singers; however, there are many challenges to rigor and replicability. To support the advances of research into group singing, the authors met and discussed theoretical and methodological issues to be addressed in future studies. The authors are from five countries and represent the following disciplinary perspectives: music psychology, music therapy, community music, clinical psychology, educational and developmental psychology, evolutionary psychology, health psychology, social psychology, and public health. This article summarizes our collective thoughts in relation to the priority questions for future group singing research, theoretical frameworks, poten...