Background

I studied Psychology at QUB before completing a PGCE at Stranmillis University College (SUC). After teaching in a local primary school for four years I studied on the DECAP programme, graduating in 2012. I went on to work as an Educational Psychologist in the EA. In 2015 I joined SUC as a Senior Lecturer and International Coordinator. I joined the DECAP team part-time in 2020 as a tutor, then assistant Programme Director and took on the role full-time from November 2022.

Teaching Responsibilities

• Mental Health in Schools
• Trauma
• Working with war-affected children and refugees
• Working systemically with schools
• Bullying and the role of the EP

External Interests/Community Service

• HCPC Registered Educational and Child Psychologist (PYL28408)
• BPS Chartered Educational Psychologist (173663)
• Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (PR155588)
• Director/Trustee of Fields of Life
• Director/Trustee of Links Counselling Service

Research Interests

My research has mostly involved developing and evaluating interventions for war-affected children in Uganda and the DRC, as well as supporting refugee pupils in schools in N.Ireland. This has also involved writing and evaluating life-skills and wellbeing programmes for schools in Uganda and NI. I have peer reviewed for journals including Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Social Science and Medicine, Child Development, and Journal of Traumatic Stress.

Publications

Fitzpatrick, C., Loader, R., McCartney, S., McConnell, B., McMullen, J., Murray, C. R. G., Orr, K., Purdy, N. and Simms, V. (2023). The Consequences of the Cuts to Education for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland. Stranmillis University College. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4494674

McMullen, J., Harris, J., Jones, S.,  McConnellogue, S., Winter, F. (2021). School-based support for Syrian Refugee Pupils in Northern Ireland. Stranmillis University College/Education Authority NI. https://www.stran.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/School-Based-Support-for-Syrian-Refugee-Pupils-in-NI-McMullen-et-al-2021.pdf

McMullen, J.D. & Eaton, P. (2021). The Impact of a School-based Life Skills Intervention in Ugandan Secondary Schools: Perspectives of Teachers and Students. Pastoral Care in Education. 39:1, 4-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2020.1751687

Purdy, N., Harris, J., Dunn, J., Gibson, K., Jones, S., McKee, B., McMullen, J., Walsh, G., and Ballentine, M. (2021). Northern Ireland Survey of Parents/Carers on Home-Schooling during the Covid-19 Crisis: 2021, CREU, Stranmillis University College. https://www.stran.ac.uk/research-paper/northern-ireland-survey-of-parents-carers-on-home-schooling-during-the-covid-19-crisis-2021/

McMullen, J.D., Jones, S., Campbell, R., McLaughlin, J., McDade, B., O’Lynn, P., and Glen, C. (2020). ‘‘Sitting on a wobbly chair’: mental health and wellbeing among newcomer pupils in Northern Irish schools’, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 25:2, 125-138. https://doi.org/10.1080/01629778.2020.1763095

McMullen, J.D. & McMullen, N. (2018). Evaluation of a teacher-led, life-skills intervention for secondary school students in Uganda. Social Science and Medicine. 217: 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.041

Jones, S., McMullen, J., Campbell, R., McLaughlin, J., McDade, B., O’Lynn, P. and Glen, C. (2018). Multilingual minds: the mental health and wellbeing of newcomer children and young people in Northern Ireland and the role of the education authority youth service. Stranmillis University College/Education Authority. https://www.eani.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-10/EA%20Youth%20Service%20Newcomer%20Research%20Report.pdf

McMullen, J. (2017). Delivering and evaluating interventions in war-affected, low-income countries. Research Intelligence (BERA). Issue 133, 8-10

McMullen, J. (2016). ADHD- From Understanding to Support. Special (NASEN). March issue, 34-35.

O’Callaghan, P., McMullen, J., Shannon, C., Rafferty, H., & Black A. (2015). Comparing a trauma focused and non trauma focused intervention with war affected Congolese youth: a preliminary randomised trial. Intervention. 13(1): 28-44. https://oce.ovid.com/article/01198282-201503000-00005/HTML

O’Callaghan, P., Branham, L., Shannon, C., Betancourt, T., Dempster, M. & McMullen, J. (2014). A Family-Focused, Psychosocial Intervention with Young People at Risk of Attack & Abduction in North-Eastern DR Congo: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Child Abuse and Neglect. 38 (7): 1197-1207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.02.004

McMullen, J., O’Callaghan, P., Shannon, C., Black, A., & Eakin, J. (2013). Group trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy with former child soldiers and other war-affected boys in the DR Congo: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(11): 1231-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12094

O’Callaghan, P., McMullen, J. & Shannon, C. (2013). Hamlet or Omelette? Debates in the Field of Interventions for War-Affected Children. Clinical Psychology Forum, 258(June): 23-27. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpf.2014.1.258.23

O’Callaghan, P., McMullen, J., Shannon, C., Rafferty, H., & Black, A. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for sexually exploited, war-affected, Congolese Girls.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(4): 359-369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.01.013

McMullen, J., O’Callaghan, P., Richards, J., Eakin, J. & Rafferty, H. (2012). Screening for Traumatic Exposure and Psychological Distress among War-Affected Adolescents in Post-Conflict northern Uganda. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 47(9), 1489-98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0454-9

Newspaper articles/Blogs

McMullen, J. and O’Hare, D. (2022). ‘Talking to children and young people about war in Ukraine. Blog Post for EdPsy. Available at https://edpsy.org.uk/blog/2022/talking-to-children-and-young-people-about-war-in-ukraine/

‘Giving kids a break is the best way for them to 'catch up' after a year of disruption’. Article in The Guardian (March 2021). Available at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/03/kids-break-catch-up-year-disruption-play

McMullen, J & Walsh, G. (2020) Prioritising Play when Schools Reopen. Blog Post for Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement, Stranmillis University College. Available at https://www.stran.ac.uk/prioritising-play-when-schools-reopen/

McMullen, J & Simms, V. (2021). School Return and Balancing Acts. Blog Post for Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement, Stranmillis University College. Available at https://www.stran.ac.uk/school-return-and-balancing-acts/

Conference Presentations

School-based Support for Syrian Refugee Pupils in Northern Ireland. Oral presentation at the BPS Division of Educational and Child Psychology Annual Confernce, Nottingham, January 2023.

‘Schools as Sanctuaries: School-Based Support for Asylum-Seeking and Refugee Experienced Children’. Keynote address at the Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) Webinar, Stranmillis University College (SUC). May 2022.

‘Supporting Syrian Refugee Children and Young People in Northern Ireland’. Research presentation hosted by CREU, SUC. June 2021.

‘Children and Young People’s Mental Health’. Keynote address at the Education and Training Inspectorate- Annual Staff Development Day. December 2018.

‘Attachment, Schools and Learning’. Presentation and panel contribution on the World Mental Health Day event at Queens University, Belfast, October 2018.

‘Evaluation of a Teacher-led, Life Skills Intervention for Secondary School Students in Uganda’. Oral presentation at the British Psychological Society (BPS) Annual Conference, Nottingham, April 2018.

‘Complex Trauma and Child Soldiers’. Keynote address to open the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) Annual Conference, Marble Arch, London, November 2016.

‘Providing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support to War-affected Children’. ‘A Flavour of Psychology’ conference, Whitla Hall, QUB, October 2016.

‘Methodologies for Researching With the Most Disadvantaged In Situations of Conflict’. BERA President’s Roundtable seminar, Riddel Hall, QUB, May 2016.

‘ADHD- From Understanding to Support’. Keynote address at Nasen NI Study Day, Stranmillis UC, April 2016.

‘Providing mental health and psychosocial support for war-affected children- A reflection on interventions in Uganda and the DR Congo’. NIBPS Annual Conference, March 2016

‘Living Well- A Teacher-led Life Skills Programme’. Presentation at the Fields of Life Annual Conference, Ibanda, western Uganda, January 2016.

‘Group-based Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with War-affected Children in the DR Congo’. Treating the Trauma of the Troubles Conference, Riddel Hall, QUB, November 2015.