Sarah-Jane Lennie

The Open University, United Kingdom

Title: Empowering Women in Policing: Addressing Perinatal Mental Health and Maternity Challenges

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Biography

Sarah-Jane (SJ) Lennie, Dr Keely Duddin and Kendal Wright work in theDepartment for Policing within the Open University, England, and all have aprofessional background in policing.  SJ specialisesin social psychology, emotions in the workplace and the mental health andwell-being of police officers and their families.  SJ is a subject matter expert for the Collegeof Policing in mental health, organisational culture and leadership and was a DetectiveInspector serving for 18 years in the British Police Service. Keely has abackground in health psychology and her research interests extend to women'srights and working parents’ issues within policing contexts.  Keely is the lead for the Policing stream forthe new OU Centre for Protecting Women Online and was the Head of Research forBritish Transport Police as well as serving as a special police officer. Kendal designs and teaches on a number of policing qualificationsin the UK. With nearly 15 years of policing experience, she completed herMaster’s in 2018 and is starting her EdD on reducing AI-related fear ineducation and has a strong interest in public sector maternity research. Both DrLennie and Dr Duddin are chartered psychologists with the British PsychologySociety (BPS).

Abstract

Thisresearch draws together two groundbreaking projects that investigate the uniquechallenges faced by women in policing during maternity and the perinatalperiod. Policing, a traditionally male-dominated field, often exacerbatesmental health issues, particularly for women navigating pregnancy and maternityleave. Our study draws on data from a survey of 5,920 participants across allUK police forces regarding maternity experiences, alongside 18 autobiographicalinterviews with men and women from 11 police forces with experiences ofperinatal mental ill-health. A multi-stakeholder focus group including policepractitioners, lead psychologists, and health services provides additionalinsights.

Amixed-methods analysis incorporates Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory,feminist psychology, and statistical findings to explore how organisationalstructures influence maternal mental health. Findings indicate organisationalchallenges such as inadequate risk assessments, lack of flexible workingoptions, isolation, and insufficient mental health resources, this coupled withoperational traumatic stress and threats to social and professional identitythrough stigmatisation of the family and mental health lead to heightenedmental ill-health, silencing and intention to resign. Intersectional barriers,particularly for women of colour, further highlight the need for targetedsupport.

Theresearch has been supported by multiple knowledge exchange activities acrosspolicing organisations, ensuring practical applicability and engagement. Whilewe propose supervisor training, phased return-to-work initiatives, and havedeveloped a perinatal mental health toolkit for policing environments, many ofthese recommendations have broader applicability. These initiatives, adopted asnational guidance, foster inclusive workplaces that promote gender equity,enhance retention, and support career progression for women in policing andbeyond.