PhD, The University of Queensland 1993

Master of Applied Psychology (clin), University of Qld 1986

Master of Arts (Hons), University of NSW 1979

I joined the School of Psychology in 1992 after working as a clinical psychologist in Qld Health for 12 years. During this time I worked with children and adults with a range of problems (including schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, depression and eating disorders). I have practiced clinical psychology in a range of settings including acute psychiatric admission units, general medical wards, long stay institutions and community mental health centres. In the last 2 years of my clinical practice I worked largely within health psychology settings. As well as teaching clinical psychology, I continue to practice clinical psychology and consult with community and government agencies.

Member Psychologists Board of Queensland
Chair of the Psychologists Board of Queensland Registration Subcommittee
Editorial Board member Psychology and Health
Editorial Board member Rehabilitation Psychology
Editorial Board member Health Psychology Review
Editorial Board member Research in Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Principal Researcher, Social & Applied Research Centre for the MS Australia Research Institute
Member APS College of Clinical Psychologists
Member APS College of Health Psychologists
Member Australasian Society for Behavioural Health & Medicine
Registered Psychologist in Qld

My research interests are in the areas of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), positive psychology and clinical health psychology. My specific research interests include: the application of ACT to specific populations, and investigation into adaptation to negative or stressful life events particularly using stress and coping frameworks. Particular negative or stressful life events of interest include chronic illness (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, heart disease), and caregiving. I am interested in both the physiological and psychological processes involved in the adaptation process for the person directly affected by the stressful event and significant others (carers). I have a 3 year ARC funded project that is examining the psychosocial impact of caring for a parent with an illness or disability and am involved in numerous other funded projects.

Pakenham, K. I. (In press). Benefit finding and sense making in chronic illness. In Folkman, S. (Ed.). Oxford Handbook on Stress, Coping, and Health. NY: Oxford University Press.

Pakenham, K. I. (2009). Children who care for their parents: the impact of disability on young lives. In Marshall, C.A., Kendall, E., Banks, M., & Gover, R.M.S. (Eds.) Disability: Insights From Across Fields and Around the World, Vol II, (pp. 39-60). Westport, CT: Praeger Press.

 Fitzell, A. & Pakenham, K. I. (In press, accepted 30/09/09). Application of a stress and coping model to positive and negative adjustment outcomes in colorectal cancer caregiving. Psycho-oncology.

Hawkes, A.L., Pakenham, K.I., Courneya, K., Gollschewski, S., Baade, P., Gordon, L., Lynch, B.M., Aitken, J., & Chambers, S. (In press, accepted 7/08/09). A randomised controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention for colorectal cancer survivors (CanChange): study protocol. BMC Cancer

Ireland, M., & Pakenham, K. I. (In press, accepted 20/02/09). The nature of young caregiving in families experiencing chronic illness/disability: Development of the Youth Activities of Caregiving Scale (YACS), Psychology and Health

Rinaldis, M., Pakenham, K. I., Lynch, B. M., Aitken, J. F. (In press, accepted 21/04/09). Development of a measure of finding benefits in a diagnosis of colorectal cancer: A Longitudinal Investigation, British Journal of Psychology

Samios, C., Pakenham, K. I., & Sofronoff, K. (2009). The nature of benefit finding in parenting a child with Asperger Syndrome, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3, 358-374.

Rinaldis, M., Pakenham, K. I., Lynch, B. M., Aitken, J. F. (In press, accepted 24/07/08). Development, confirmation and validation of a measure of coping with colorectal cancer: A Longitudinal investigation, Psycho-oncology

Shelley, M. & Pakenham, K. I. (In press, accepted 28/03/08). Cortisol changes interact with the effects of a cognitive behavioural psychological preparation for surgery on 12-month outcomes for surgical heart patients. Psychology and Health.

Pakenham, K. I. & Cox, S. (2009). The dimensional structure of benefit finding in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and relations with positive and negative adjustment: A longitudinal study. Psychology and Health, 24, 373-393

Cohn, A. & Pakenham K. I. (2008). The efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral program in improving psychological adjustment amongst soldiers in recruit training. Military Medicine, 173(12), 1151–1157.

            Pakenham, K. I. & Cox, S. (2008). Development of the Benefit Finding in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Caregiving Scale: A longitudinal study of relations between benefit finding and adjustment. British Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 583-602.

Fraser, E., & Pakenham, K. I. (2008). Evaluation of a resilience-based intervention for children of parents with mental illness. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42, 1041-1050.

            Pakenham, K. I. (2008). Making Sense of Caregiving for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS): The Dimensional Structure of Sense Making and Relations with Positive and Negative Adjustment. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15, 241-252.

Pakenham, K.I. (2008). The nature of sense making in caregiving for persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Disability and Rehabilitation, 30(17), 1263 - 1273

Lynch B, Steginga SK, Hawkes A, Pakenham K, Dunn J.  (2008) Describing and predicting psychological distress after colo-rectal cancer; a population based study. Cancer, 112, 1363-1370.

Pakenham K. I. (2008). Making sense of illness or disability: The nature of sense making in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 93-105.

Pakenham, K.I. (2007). Making sense of Multiple Sclerosis. Rehabilitation Psychology, 52, 380-389.

Pakenham, K.I. (2007). The nature of caregiving in multiple sclerosis: Development of the Caregiving Tasks in Multiple Sclerosis Scale. Multiple Sclerosis. 13, 929-938.

Coles, A. R., Pakenham, K. I., Leech, C. (2007). Evaluation of an intensive psychosocial intervention for children of parents with Multiple Sclerosis. Rehabilitation Psychology, 52(2), 133-142.

                      Shelley, M. & Pakenham, K. I. (2007). The effects of pre-operative preparation on post-operative outcomes: The moderating role of control appraisals. Health Psychology, 26, 183-191.

Pakenham, K. I., Bursnall, S., Chiu, J., Cannon, T., & Okochi,M. (2006). The psychosocial impact of caregiving on young people who have a parent with an illness or disability: comparisons between young caregivers and non-caregivers. Rehabilitation Psychology, 51, 113-126.

Dunn, J., Lynch, B.M., Rinaldis, M., McPherson, L., Pakenham, K.I., & Aitken, J.F. Dimensions of quality of life and psychosocial variables most salient to colorectal cancer patients. (2006). Psycho-Oncology, 15, 20-30.

Pakenham, K. I. (2005). Benefit finding in Multiple Sclerosis and Associations with Positive and Negative Outcomes. Health Psychology. 24, 123-132.

Pakenham, K. I.(2005) The positive impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on carers: Associations between carer benefit finding and positive and negative adjustment domains. Disability and Rehabilitation, 27, 985-997.

Pakenham, K. I., Samios, C. & Sofronoff, K., (2005). Adjustment in mothers of children with Asperger Syndrome: An application of the Double ABCX Model of Family Adjustment. Autism, 9, 191-212.

Green, H. J., Pakenham, K. I., & Gardiner, R. A. (2005). Cognitive deficits associated with cancer: A model of subjective and objective outcomes. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 10, 145-160.

Pakenham, K. I. (2205) Relations between coping and positive and negative outcomes in carers of persons with Multiple Sclerosis. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 12, 25-38.

Pakenham, K. I., Goodwin, V., & MacMillan, J. (2004). Adaptation to being at-risk for Huntington’s Disease and the availability of genetic testing: Application of a stress and coping model. Psychology Health & Medicine, 9, 380-397.

Brown, W., & Pakenham, K. I. (2004). Mammography screening distress and pain: Changes over time and relations with breast symptoms, implants and cancer detection concerns. Psychology Health & Medicine, 9, 403-410.

Sestini, A., & Pakenham, K.I. (2000). Cancer of the prostate: A biopsychosocial review. Journal of Psycho-oncology. 18, 17-38

Pakenham, K. I. (1999). Adjustment to multiple sclerosis: Application of a stress and coping model. Health Psychology, 18, 383-392.

Pakenham, K.I. (1998). Couple coping and adjustment to MS in care receiver-carer dyads. Family Relations, 47, 269-277.

Pakenham, K.I., Dadds, M.R., & Terry, D.J. (1994). The relationships between adjustment to HIV and both social support and coping strategies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 1194-1203.