Dr Sarah-Jane (SJ) Lennie

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Associate Professor
Location:
Chelmsford

Dr Sarah-Jane (SJ) Lennie is an Associate Professor at the Centre of Excellence for Equity in Uniformed Public Services and a social and organisational psychologist chartered through the British Psychological Society.

[email protected]

Connect with SJ on LinkedIn

Background

SJ is a Subject Matter Expert for the College of Policing on mental health and wellbeing in leadership, where over the last six years she has delivered educational workshops to ranks up to and including senior command (Assistant Chief Constable) on wellbeing and leadership in policing.

Her research focus is on mental health and wellbeing within organisations, focusing on policing and police families, but also wider emergency services and industries. Her research has led to policy change at a national and local level within the police service.

Prior to coming to academia, SJ served as police officer in both Hampshire Constabulary and Greater Manchester Police, and was a member of the British Army.

Outside of academia, SJ is currently training to be a psychotherapist with the King’s Trust.

Research interests
  • Emotions
  • Mental health
  • Organisational culture
  • Compassion at work
Qualifications

PhD: Emotional (in) authenticity: The psychological impact of emotional labour on the police officers of England and Wales

MSc Human Resources Management

Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Counselling

Memberships, editorial boards
  • British Psychological Society
  • UK Psychological Trauma Society
Selected recent publications

Crozier, S. E., Sutton, A., Lennie, S. J. and Cooper, C. L. (2025) 'Do We Practice What We Preach? A Mixed Methods Study of Stress in Stress Experts: Implications for Transfer of Awareness and Learning', Stress and Health, 41(3), e70064. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70064

Lennie, S. J. (2025) 'The authentic and the published researcher: reflecting on tensions between epistemology and publishing conventions'. In: Sandford, P. J. and Schührer, S. (Eds.) (2025) Exploring Research Methodology and Research Design: Doing Research Across the Business Disciplines. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 89-99.

Wilkinson, K., Lennie, S. J. and Duddin, K. (2024) 'Perinatal Mental Health and Employment: Exploring the Work-Illness Intersection in the Context of UK Policing In: Wilkinson, K. and Woolnough, H. (Eds.) (2024) Work-Life Inclusion: Broadening Perspectives Across the Life-Course. Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 95-108.

Recent presentations and conferences

2025: Speaker: 'Police Families: A debt of Gratitude', British Association of Women in Policing, Cheshire.

2024: Speaker: ‘Beyond the Here and Now – Sociodrama Knowledge: Bridging the Gap Between Experience and Generalization’, 8th International Sociodrama Conference, Budapest Hungary.

2024: Keynote Speaker: ‘Resilience: Who’s responsibility’, Police Scotland Wellbeing Conference, Scotland.

2024: Speaker: ‘Stress and Wellbeing: the impact on the individual and the role of the organisation’, Arab OU, online.

2023: Speaker: ‘Perinatal Mental Health and Police Life’, Gender, Work and Organisation, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

2022: Speaker: ‘The contribution of police culture and leadership to mental ill-health in officers and staff’, The Impact of Trauma on First Line Responders Conference, The British Psychological Society, online.