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Associate Professor Karen Turner
Associate Professor

Karen Turner

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Phone: 
+61 7 336 57302

Overview

Background

Karen Turner is a clinical psychologist and research academic. She is Deputy Director at the Parenting and Family Support Centre. Her research activity focuses on the impact of evidence-based parenting support on child, family and community outcomes. She is a foundational co-author of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program and has published more than 50 professional manuals, parent workbooks, tip sheet series, and video programs, which are currently being used in 27 countries, in 20 languages. She has also co-written television segments and four interactive online parenting programs. She has clinical and research experience relating to parent wellbeing, child development, and the prevention and treatment of a variety of childhood behavioural and emotional problems, including work with feeding disorders, pain syndromes and conduct problems. Her research has also focused on the development and evaluation of brief primary care interventions in the prevention of behaviour disorders in children, and the dissemination of these interventions to the professional community. She has also conducted series of research into: online delivery of parenting programs; the cultural tailoring of mainstream parenting programs for Indigenous families; and enhancing the training and post-training environment for Indigenous professionals. Her current work includes further resource development for primary care settings, early education settings, and an ongoing focus on making evidence-based parenting support programs more accessible for First Nations families, and in low-resource and developing communities.

Availability

Associate Professor Karen Turner is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research impacts

Associate Professor Turner has over 35 years of experience in the development, evaluation and dissemination of behavioural family intervention and prevention programs. Her work has primarily revolved around the UQ flagship Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, which has been subjected to over 400 research trials by over 1700 researchers in over 540 institutions; is used by more than 77,000 trained and accredited practitioners from different disciplines; and has reached more than an estimated 7 million children. The key theme of her program development and research endeavours has been increasing access to evidence-based parenting and family support for all families, with the aim of reducing population prevalence rates of child behavioural and emotional problems, family conflict and adversity. The impact of this work is both instrumental (in shaping policy, professional practice and family outcomes) and capacity building (in building community, organisational, professional and individual skills), and is establishing enduring international connectivity. It has led to adoption of evidence-based parenting programs by most state governments in Australia, and from a county/province to a national level in other countries. Her work in the cultural tailoring of programs for Australian First Nations families has engendered interest from other First Nations populations (e.g. Canada, New Zealand) and migrant and resettled families.

Works

Search Professor Karen Turner’s works on UQ eSpace

93 works between 1994 and 2024

1 - 20 of 93 works

2024

Journal Article

Supporting families affected by adversity: an open feasibility trial of Family Life Skills Triple P

Sanders, Matthew R., M. T. Turner, Karen, Baker, Sabine, Ma, Tianyi, Chainey, Carys, Horstead, Siân K., Wimalaweera, Subodha, Gardner, Susan and Eastwood, John (2024). Supporting families affected by adversity: an open feasibility trial of Family Life Skills Triple P. Behavior Therapy, 55 (3), 621-635. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.09.004

Supporting families affected by adversity: an open feasibility trial of Family Life Skills Triple P

2024

Journal Article

Connecting families, schools, and communities: A systems‐contextual approach to sustainable futures for children

Hoang, April, Sanders, Matthew R., Turner, Karen M. T., Morawska, Alina, Cobham, Vanessa, Chainey, Carys and Simmons, Erik (2024). Connecting families, schools, and communities: A systems‐contextual approach to sustainable futures for children. Sustainable Development, 1-13. doi: 10.1002/sd.2911

Connecting families, schools, and communities: A systems‐contextual approach to sustainable futures for children

2023

Conference Publication

Understanding caregiver's perspective in enhancing resilience of children in Pakistani orphanages

Khalid, Amina, Morawska, Alina and Turner, Karen (2023). Understanding caregiver's perspective in enhancing resilience of children in Pakistani orphanages. 32nd International Congress of Psychology, Prague, Czech Republic, 18 - 23 July 2021. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12987

Understanding caregiver's perspective in enhancing resilience of children in Pakistani orphanages

2023

Journal Article

Jandu Yani U (for all families): evaluating Indigenous Triple P, a community-tailored parenting support program in remote Aboriginal communities

Andersson, Ellaina, McIlduff, Cari, Turner, Karen M. T., Carter, Emily, Hand, Marmingee, Thomas, Sue, Davies, Jadnah, Einfeld, Stewart and Elliott, Elizabeth J. (2023). Jandu Yani U (for all families): evaluating Indigenous Triple P, a community-tailored parenting support program in remote Aboriginal communities. Australian Psychologist, 59 (3), 245-259. doi: 10.1080/00050067.2023.2267159

Jandu Yani U (for all families): evaluating Indigenous Triple P, a community-tailored parenting support program in remote Aboriginal communities

2023

Journal Article

Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of the Group Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program in Pakistani orphanages

Khalid, Amina, Morawska, Alina and Turner, Karen M. T. (2023). Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of the Group Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program in Pakistani orphanages. Child and Family Social Work, 29 (1), 78-89. doi: 10.1111/cfs.13052

Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of the Group Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program in Pakistani orphanages

2023

Conference Publication

Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of Group Triple P in Pakistani orphanages

Khalid, A., Morawska, A. and Turner, K. M. T. (2023). Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of Group Triple P in Pakistani orphanages. International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, Australia, 6-8 June 2023.

Caregivers' perspectives on the impact of Group Triple P in Pakistani orphanages

2023

Journal Article

Exploring Indigenous community conceptions of parent wellbeing: a qualitative analysis

Ponnapalli, Arvind, Fisher, Tarita and Turner, Karen M. T. (2023). Exploring Indigenous community conceptions of parent wellbeing: a qualitative analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (4) 3585, 1-21. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043585

Exploring Indigenous community conceptions of parent wellbeing: a qualitative analysis

2023

Journal Article

Embedding the Model of Engaging with Communities Collaboratively (MECC) in the Jandu Yani U (For All Families) Project in Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia

McIlduff, Cari Dawn, Turner, Karen, Davies, Jadnah, Carter, Emily, Thomas, Sue, Andersson, Ellaina, Hand, Marmingee, Einfeld, Stewart and Elliott, Elizabeth (2023). Embedding the Model of Engaging with Communities Collaboratively (MECC) in the Jandu Yani U (For All Families) Project in Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 101-118. doi: 10.5204/ijcis.2314

Embedding the Model of Engaging with Communities Collaboratively (MECC) in the Jandu Yani U (For All Families) Project in Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia

2023

Journal Article

Parenting in a pandemic podcast: a case study in delivering parenting intervention during COVID‑19

Morawska, Alina, Kish, Antonia, Sanders, Matthew R, Turner, Karen M T, Cobham, Vanessa E and Burke, Kylie (2023). Parenting in a pandemic podcast: a case study in delivering parenting intervention during COVID‑19. Journal of Children and Young People's Health, 3 (3). doi: 10.33235/jcyph.3.3.4-9

Parenting in a pandemic podcast: a case study in delivering parenting intervention during COVID‑19

2023

Conference Publication

Supporting families affected by adversity: Recommendations drawn from the context, development and testing of a novel intervention, Family Life Skills Triple P

Chainey, Carys, Sanders, Matthew R., Turner, Karen, Baker, Sabine, Ma, Tianyi, Horstead, Sian, Wimalaweera, Subodha, Gardner, Susan and Eastwood, John (2023). Supporting families affected by adversity: Recommendations drawn from the context, development and testing of a novel intervention, Family Life Skills Triple P. International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, Online, 6-8 June 2023.

Supporting families affected by adversity: Recommendations drawn from the context, development and testing of a novel intervention, Family Life Skills Triple P

2022

Conference Publication

Effectiveness of Triple P in an orphanage context in Lahore

Khalid, A., Morawska, A. and Turner, K. M. T. (2022). Effectiveness of Triple P in an orphanage context in Lahore. 42nd National Conference of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 13-14 October 2022.

Effectiveness of Triple P in an orphanage context in Lahore

2022

Journal Article

Pakistani orphanage caregivers’ perspectives regarding their caregiving abilities, personal and orphan children’s psychological wellbeing

Khalid, Amina, Morawska, Alina and Turner, Karen M. T. (2022). Pakistani orphanage caregivers’ perspectives regarding their caregiving abilities, personal and orphan children’s psychological wellbeing. Child: Care, Health and Development, 49 (1), 145-155. doi: 10.1111/cch.13027

Pakistani orphanage caregivers’ perspectives regarding their caregiving abilities, personal and orphan children’s psychological wellbeing

2022

Journal Article

Jandu Yani U (for all families): tailored Triple P Training and Support promote empowerment in remote Aboriginal communities

McIlduff, Cari, Andersson, Ellaina, Turner, Karen M. T., Thomas, Sue, Davies, Jadnah, Hand, Marmingee, Carter, Emily, Einfeld, Stewart and Elliott, Elizabeth J. (2022). Jandu Yani U (for all families): tailored Triple P Training and Support promote empowerment in remote Aboriginal communities. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31 (8), 2175-2186. doi: 10.1007/s10826-022-02355-5

Jandu Yani U (for all families): tailored Triple P Training and Support promote empowerment in remote Aboriginal communities

2022

Journal Article

A review of Australian Government funding of parenting intervention research

Havighurst, Sophie S., Chainey, Carys, Doyle, Frances L., Higgins, Daryl J., Mathews, Ben, Mazzucchelli, Trevor G., Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie, Andriessen, Karl, Cobham, Vanessa E., Cross, Donna, Dadds, Mark R., Dawe, Sharon, Gray, Kylie M., Guastella, Adam J., Harnett, Paul, Haslam, Divna M., Middeldorp, Christel M., Morawska, Alina, Ohan, Jeneva L., Sanders, Matthew R., Stallman, Helen M., Tonge, Bruce J., Toumbourou, John W., Turner, Karen M.T., Williams, Kate E., Yap, Marie B.H. and Nicholson, Jan M. (2022). A review of Australian Government funding of parenting intervention research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46 (3), 262-268. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13235

A review of Australian Government funding of parenting intervention research

2021

Journal Article

Predicting positive outcomes and successful completion in an online parenting program for parents of children with disruptive behavior: An integrated data analysis

Day, Jamin J., Baker, Sabine, Dittman, Cassandra K., Franke, Nike, Hinton, Sharon, Love, Susan, Sanders, Matthew R. and Turner, Karen M.T. (2021). Predicting positive outcomes and successful completion in an online parenting program for parents of children with disruptive behavior: An integrated data analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 146 103951, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103951

Predicting positive outcomes and successful completion in an online parenting program for parents of children with disruptive behavior: An integrated data analysis

2021

Journal Article

Scaling up parenting interventions is critical for attaining the sustainable development goals

Sanders, Matthew R., Divan, Gauri, Singhal, Meghna, Turner, Karen M. T., Velleman, Richard, Michelson, Daniel and Patel, Vikram (2021). Scaling up parenting interventions is critical for attaining the sustainable development goals. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 53 (5), 941-952. doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01171-0

Scaling up parenting interventions is critical for attaining the sustainable development goals

2021

Journal Article

Empowering the voices and agency of Indigenous Australian youth and their wellbeing in higher education✰

Durmush, Georgia, Craven, Rhonda G., Brockman, Robert, Yeung, Alexander Seeshing, Mooney, Janet, Turner, Karen and Guenther, John (2021). Empowering the voices and agency of Indigenous Australian youth and their wellbeing in higher education✰. International Journal of Educational Research, 109 101798, 101798. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101798

Empowering the voices and agency of Indigenous Australian youth and their wellbeing in higher education✰

2020

Journal Article

Model of engaging communities collaboratively

McIlduff, Cari Dawn, Forster, Michell, Carter, Emily, Davies, Jadnah, Thomas, Sue, Turner, Karen M.T., Brown Wilson, Christine and Sanders, Matthew R. (2020). Model of engaging communities collaboratively. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 13 (1), 45-69. doi: 10.5204/ijcis.v13i1.1346

Model of engaging communities collaboratively

2020

Conference Publication

Using information about social norms to engage parents in online Triple P for their child’s behaviour problems

Ohan, J. L., Morawska, A., Turner, K. M. T. and Sanders, M. R. (2020). Using information about social norms to engage parents in online Triple P for their child’s behaviour problems. Helping Families Change Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 5 - 7 February 2020.

Using information about social norms to engage parents in online Triple P for their child’s behaviour problems

2020

Conference Publication

Understanding the perspective of caregivers working in Pakistani orphanages regarding their role as caregivers and the impacts on children’s wellbeing

Khalid, A., Morawska, A. and Turner, K. M. T. (2020). Understanding the perspective of caregivers working in Pakistani orphanages regarding their role as caregivers and the impacts on children’s wellbeing. Helping Families Change Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 5 -7 February 2020.

Understanding the perspective of caregivers working in Pakistani orphanages regarding their role as caregivers and the impacts on children’s wellbeing

Funding

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    Deadly start: enabling preschoolers' literacy, numeracy and wellbeing (ARC Discovery Project administered by the Australian Catholic University)
    Australian Catholic University
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Positive Parenting Collaborative Project
    Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    Life Skills Triple P Feasibility Trial
    Sydney Local Health District
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2023
    A collaborative partnership approach to providing parenting support in remote indigenous communities
    Australian Catholic University
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2019
    Evaluating an Online Parenting Support System Disseminated by Paediatric Practices (NIH grant administered by the Oregon Research Institute)
    Oregon Research Institute
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Developing and beta testing the Positive Parenting Program in a social-network community in Los Angeles County (Administered by California State University, Northridge)
    California State University, Northridge
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2017
    Enhancing the public health approach to evidence-based parenting support: Efficacy of a low intensity online intervention
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Exploring Optimal Training Processes for Indigenous Child Protection Sector Professionals
    Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Assessing the effectiveness, acceptability and sustainability of a culturally adapted evidence-based intervention for Indigenous parents
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2013
    Effects of a technology enhanced parenting intervention for young children with early onset conduct problems
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Group Triple P - Positive Parenting Program for Indigenous Families in Community and Health Settings in Far North Queensland: A Pilot. [NHMRC Mental Health Services Evaluation Research Grant]
    NHMRC - Strategic Funds
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Associate Professor Karen Turner is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Women¿s Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in Papua New Guinea

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Paul Lant, Dr Vigya Sharma

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Indigenous parent wellbeing: Implications for early intervention parenting support in Indigenous communities

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Matthew Sanders

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Evaluating low intensity school based program to promote parent-teracher communication and collaboration

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Matthew Sanders, Dr Cassandra Tellegen

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Karen Turner directly for media enquiries about:

  • Child behaviour
  • Parenting
  • Parenting programs
  • Triple P

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au