BCCHR Researchers Find a Researcher

Brianna Turner

PhD

Affiliate Investigator, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
Research Fellow, Centre for Youth and Society, University of Victoria

Dr. Turner’s research focuses on understanding when and why people engage in behaviours that are physically harmful to themselves, including nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, disordered eating and alcohol/drug use. She focuses on using micro-longitudinal and longitudinal methods to observe how these behaviours change over minutes, hours, days, months and years. In addition, she uses epidemiological surveys to understand the population-level health impact of these behaviors across the lifespan.

Academic Affiliations

Associate Professor, , Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Victoria
Research Theme: Brain, Behaviour & Development
Research Group(s): Mental Health and Behaviour

Contact Information

Location

Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 2Y2

(250) 721-8711

briannat@uvic.ca

Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents and Caregivers with Young Children: Results of a Mixed-Methods Canadian Survey

Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing

Erica Koopmans and Tess Amyot and Brianna Turner and Theone Paterson and Shanaya Rathod and Peter Phiri and Caroline Sanders

DOI: 10.1080/24694193.2025.2588479

01 / 2026

Lived Experience and Clinician Perspectives on the Priorities and Challenges of Integrating Peer Support in Acute Psychiatric Services for People With BPD

International Journal of Mental Health Nursing

Brianna J. Turner and Baylie McKnight and Zack Senay and Skye Barbic

DOI: 10.1111/inm.70158

10 / 2025

Associations Between Self-Criticism, Basic Psychological Needs Frustration, and Self-Damaging Behaviors: An Application of Self-Determination Theory

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Christina L. Robillard and Andrew C. Switzer and Nicole K. Legg and Emily L. Spargo and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1007/s10608-024-10533-6

02 / 2025

The impact of COVID-19-related smell dysfunction on sexual and mental wellbeing: Data from a longitudinal sample

Biological Psychology

Marlise K. Hofer and Laura Blume and Brianna J. Turner and Laura Schfer and Ilona Croy and Thomas Hummel

DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109002

02 / 2025

Peer support for borderline personality disorder: A critical review of its feasibility, acceptability, and alignment with concepts of recovery.

Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment

Brianna J. Turner and Baylie McKnight and Carolyn E. Helps and Si-Ning Yeo and Skye Barbic

DOI: 10.1037/per0000683

11 / 2024

Influence of perceived peer behavior on engagement in self-damaging behaviors during the transition to university

Journal of Research on Adolescence

Marlise K. Hofer and Christina L. Robillard and Nicole K. Legg and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1111/jora.12933

09 / 2024

Disparities in the prevalence, frequency and trajectories of substance use and disordered eating across first-year university in sexual minority undergraduates

Journal of American College Health

Julie Prudhomme and Marlise K. Hofer and Megan E. Ames and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2022.2103373

09 / 2024

Different self-damaging behaviours, similar motives? Testing measurement invariance of motives for nonsuicidal self-injury, disordered eating and substance misuse

British Journal of Clinical Psychology

Christina L. Robillard and Gabriel J. Merrin and Nicole K. Legg and Megan E. Ames and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12467

09 / 2024

Associations between physical activity, affect regulation difficulties, and mental health among Canadian adolescents at two different points of the COVID-19 pandemic

Psychology & Health

Megan E. Ames and Christina L. Robillard and Brianna J. Turner and Mauricio Garcia-Barrera and Jonathan Rush and Stephanie G. Craig

DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2022.2127718

08 / 2024

Prevalence, correlates, and drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Canadians.

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement

Nicole K. Legg and Andrew C. Switzer and Zachary Senay and Jennifer T. H. Reeves and Peter Phiri and Shanaya Rathod and Theone S. E. Paterson and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1037/cbs0000377

07 / 2024

From facts to feelings: Navigating the complexities of COVID-19 restrictions, perceptions, and mental well-being

Psychiatry Research

Madeline A. Gregory and Jennifer T.H. Reeves and Alexa Danyluk and Nicole K. Legg and Peter Phiri and Shanaya Rathod and Brianna J. Turner and Theone S.E. Paterson

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115802

04 / 2024

Examining the components and stability of negative affect in disordered eating frequency

European Eating Disorders Review

Nicole K. Legg and Christina L. Robillard and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1002/erv.2990

09 / 2023

Psychological Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Healthcare Workers

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine

Brianna J. Turner and Brooke E. Welch and Nicole K. Legg and Peter Phiri and Shanaya Rathod and Theone S. E. Paterson

DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002913

09 / 2023

Testing a diathesis-stress model during the transition to university: Associations between self-criticism, stress, and internalizing problems

Journal of American College Health

Christina L. Robillard and Brianna J. Turner and Carolyn E. Helps

DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1947837

07 / 2023

Rapid psychiatric readmission in youth: A five-year retrospective Cohort Study

Psychiatry Research

Brianna J. Turner and Christina L. Robillard and Alayna Gretton and Ali Eslami

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115228

07 / 2023

Daily associations of interpersonal and emotional experiences following stressful events among young adults with and without nonsuicidal self-injury

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Christopher R. Berghoff and Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon and Alexander L. Chapman and Margaret M. Baer and Brianna J. Turner and Matthew T. Tull and Kim L. Gratz

DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23359

11 / 2022

Learning from experience: Within- and between-person associations of the consequences, frequency, and versatility of nonsuicidal self-injury

Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior

Christina L. Robillard and Alexander L. Chapman and BriannaJ. Turner

DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12867

10 / 2022

Teaching dialectical thinking to enhance graduate trainees competence in outpatient psychotherapy for adolescents experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

Christina L. Robillard and Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1037/cap0000297

08 / 2022

Self-injury motives: A person-centered examination

Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior

Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon and Brianna J. Turner and Lauren A. Haliczer and Kim L. Gratz and Matthew T. Tull and Alexander L. Chapman

DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12865

08 / 2022

Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Ideation and Deliberate Self-harm in Canadian Adolescents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry

Brianna J. Turner and Christina L. Robillard and Megan E. Ames and Stephanie G. Craig

DOI: 10.1177/07067437211036612

05 / 2022

Stop self-injuring, then what? Psychosocial risk associated with initiation and cessation of nonsuicidal self-injury from adolescence to early adulthood.

Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science

Brianna J. Turner and Carolyn E. Helps and Megan E. Ames

DOI: 10.1037/abn0000718

01 / 2022

Roles of Family Stress, Maltreatment, and Affect Regulation Difficulties on Adolescent Mental Health During COVID-19

Stephanie Gayle Craig and Christina Lauren Robillard and Brianna Turner and Megan Ames

DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/zkms5

05 / 2021

Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents During COVID-19: The Roles of Pandemic-Related Stress, Emotion Regulation Difficulties, and Social Distancing

Christina Lauren Robillard and Brianna Turner and Megan Ames and Stephanie Gayle Craig

DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/fy7av

01 / 2021

Personality correlates of eating pathology severity and subtypes in The National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement

Journal of Clinical Psychology

Nicole K. Legg and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23021

01 / 2021

Chronic medical conditions and suicidal behaviors in a nationally representative sample of American adolescents

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Anthony Dean-Boucher and Christina L. Robillard and Brianna J. Turner

DOI: 10.1007/s00127-019-01770-2

03 / 2020

Is the association of deliberate self-harm with emotional relief stable or dependent on emotional context?

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry

Kim L. Gratz and Matthew T. Tull and Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon and Brianna J. Turner and Alexander L. Chapman

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.03.003

09 / 2018

The role of interpersonal conflict and perceived social support in nonsuicidal self-injury in daily life.

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Brianna J. Turner and Rebecca J. Cobb and Kim L. Gratz and Alexander L. Chapman

DOI: 10.1037/abn0000141

05 / 2016

Occurrence and co-occurrence of nonsuicidal self-injury and disordered eating in a daily diary study: Which behavior, when?

Psychiatry Research

Turner, B.J. and Yiu, A. and Claes, L. and Muehlenkamp, J.J. and Chapman, A.L.

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.09.012

Characterizing Interpersonal Difficulties Among Young Adults Who Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Using a Daily Diary

Behavior Therapy

Turner, B.J. and Wakefield, M.A. and Gratz, K.L. and Chapman, A.L.

DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2016.07.001

Non-suicidal self-injury with and without borderline personality disorder: Differences in self-injury and diagnostic comorbidity

Psychiatry Research

Brianna J. Turner and Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon and Sara B. Austin and Marcus A. Rodriguez and M. Zachary Rosenthal and Alexander L. Chapman

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.058

11 / 2015

Temporal Associations Between Disordered Eating and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Examining Symptom Overlap Over 1 Year

Behavior Therapy

DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2014.09.002

01 / 2015

Non-suicidal self-injury in patients with eating disorder: Associations with identity formation above and beyond anxiety and depression

Claes, L. and Luyckx, K. and Bijttebier, P. and Turner, B. and Ghandi, A. and Smets, J. and Norre, J. and Van Assche, L. and Verheyen, E. and Goris, Y. and Hoksbergen, I. and Schoevaerts, K.

DOI: 10.1002/erv.2341

Personality profiles in Eating Disorders: Further evidence of the clinical utility of examining subtypes based on temperament

Psychiatry Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.04.036

09 / 2014

Nonsuicidal Self-injury in Asian Versus Caucasian University Students: Who, How, and Why?

Turner, B.J. and Arya, S. and Chapman, A.L.

DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12113

Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Community Sample with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Yiu, A. and Turner, B.J. and Layden, B.K. and Chapman, A.L. and Zaitsoff, S.L.

DOI: 10.1007/s10862-014-9470-x

Why Stop Self-Injuring? Development of the Reasons to Stop Self-Injury Questionnaire

Turner, B.J. and Chapman, A.L. and Gratz, K.L.

DOI: 10.1177/0145445513508977

Treating nonsuicidal self-injury: A systematic review of psychological and pharmacological interventions

Turner, B.J. and Austin, S.B. and Chapman, A.L.

Risk-related and protective correlates of nonsuicidal self-injury and co-occurring suicide attempts among incarcerated women

Chapman, A.L. and Gratz, K.L. and Turner, B.J.

DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12058

How Often, or How Many Ways: Clarifying the Relationship Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicidality

Turner, B.J. and Layden, B.K. and Butler, S.M. and Chapman, A.L.

DOI: 10.1080/13811118.2013.802660

Intrapersonal and interpersonal functions of non suicidal self-injury: Associations with emotional and social functioning

Turner, B.J. and Chapman, A.L. and Layden, B.K.

DOI: 10.1111/j.1943-278X.2011.00069.x

To Integrate or Not to Integrate Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with Other Therapy Approaches?

Chapman, A.L. and Turner, B.J. and Dixon-Gordon, K.L.

DOI: 10.1007/s10615-010-0283-4

Psychotherapy for personality disorders

Dixon-Gordon, K.L. and Turner, B.J. and Chapman, A.L.

DOI: 10.3109/09540261.2011.586992

Laboratory Studies

Understanding the contingencies that promote and deter risky behaviours has important implications for developing treatments to reduce these behaviours. Dr. Turner's research uses laboratory-based studies to closely examine the impact of these contingencies on emotional, physiological and behavioural responses. Her lab studies typically include a clinical interview, psychophysiological monitoring, and a variety of computer-based tasks.

Developmental Studies

Developmental studies are important for understanding dynamic trajectories of risky behaviours across the lifespan. For instance, we know that many risky behaviours begin in adolescence. While some youth develop long-standing problems related to these behaviours, many others are able to stop them with little formal intervention. Dr. Turner's current research uses epidemiological surveys and accelerated longitudinal designs to understand the onset, course, and offset of risky behaviours during key developmental transitions.

Micro-longitudinal Studies

In order to understand when and why different behaviours occur, we need to directly observe those behaviours in their natural contexts. Micro-longitudinal studies use a variety of technologies, including smartphone-based surveys, passive digital monitoringm and wearable biosensors, to understand behaviours as they unfold in real-time and in real life. Dr. Turner is currently involved in several projects examining the social, cognitive and emotional contexts that increase risk for suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury during and following psychiatric treatment in both youth and adults.

Grants

University of Victoria Internal Research/Creative Project Grants (2017-2018)

Using mobile technologies to understand intentional self-harm in youth

Principal Investigator: $9,910.43

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Insight Development Grant (2017-2019)

Testing a novel person-context model of risk-taking behaviours in first-year undergraduates

Principal Investigator: $74,841.00

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Development (R01) (2016-2021)

Preventing Addiction Related Suicide (PARS) – Controlled Trial of Secondary Suicide Prevention

Consultant: $25,000 sub-award (Total grant value: $2,845,581)

Honours & Awards

University of Washington School of Medicine 2015 Director’s Prize: The Nancy Robinson, PhD, Award for Outstanding Overall Achievement by a Psychology Resident

Military Suicide Research Consortium 2015 Student Research Training Day Travel Award

International Society for the Study of Self-injury 2016 Conference Travel Award

Our Research

At BC Children’s, we are making discoveries that save lives and transform health care for children in our province and around the world. Our research portfolio includes basic, clinical, population, and public health research.

EXPLORE OUR RESEARCH

Brianna Turner

PhD

Affiliate Investigator, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Research Fellow, Centre for Youth and Society, University of Victoria

Academic Affiliations

Contact Information

Location

Publications

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Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents and Caregivers with Young Children: Results of a Mixed-Methods Canadian Survey

Lived Experience and Clinician Perspectives on the Priorities and Challenges of Integrating Peer Support in Acute Psychiatric Services for People With BPD

Associations Between Self-Criticism, Basic Psychological Needs Frustration, and Self-Damaging Behaviors: An Application of Self-Determination Theory

The impact of COVID-19-related smell dysfunction on sexual and mental wellbeing: Data from a longitudinal sample

Peer support for borderline personality disorder: A critical review of its feasibility, acceptability, and alignment with concepts of recovery.

Influence of perceived peer behavior on engagement in self-damaging behaviors during the transition to university

Disparities in the prevalence, frequency and trajectories of substance use and disordered eating across first-year university in sexual minority undergraduates

Different self-damaging behaviours, similar motives? Testing measurement invariance of motives for nonsuicidal self-injury, disordered eating and substance misuse

Associations between physical activity, affect regulation difficulties, and mental health among Canadian adolescents at two different points of the COVID-19 pandemic

Prevalence, correlates, and drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Canadians.

From facts to feelings: Navigating the complexities of COVID-19 restrictions, perceptions, and mental well-being

Examining the components and stability of negative affect in disordered eating frequency

Psychological Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Healthcare Workers

Testing a diathesis-stress model during the transition to university: Associations between self-criticism, stress, and internalizing problems

Rapid psychiatric readmission in youth: A five-year retrospective Cohort Study

Daily associations of interpersonal and emotional experiences following stressful events among young adults with and without nonsuicidal self-injury

Learning from experience: Within- and between-person associations of the consequences, frequency, and versatility of nonsuicidal self-injury

Teaching dialectical thinking to enhance graduate trainees competence in outpatient psychotherapy for adolescents experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Self-injury motives: A person-centered examination

Prevalence and Correlates of Suicidal Ideation and Deliberate Self-harm in Canadian Adolescents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Stop self-injuring, then what? Psychosocial risk associated with initiation and cessation of nonsuicidal self-injury from adolescence to early adulthood.

Roles of Family Stress, Maltreatment, and Affect Regulation Difficulties on Adolescent Mental Health During COVID-19

Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents During COVID-19: The Roles of Pandemic-Related Stress, Emotion Regulation Difficulties, and Social Distancing

Personality correlates of eating pathology severity and subtypes in The National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement

Chronic medical conditions and suicidal behaviors in a nationally representative sample of American adolescents

Is the association of deliberate self-harm with emotional relief stable or dependent on emotional context?

The role of interpersonal conflict and perceived social support in nonsuicidal self-injury in daily life.

Occurrence and co-occurrence of nonsuicidal self-injury and disordered eating in a daily diary study: Which behavior, when?

Characterizing Interpersonal Difficulties Among Young Adults Who Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Using a Daily Diary

Non-suicidal self-injury with and without borderline personality disorder: Differences in self-injury and diagnostic comorbidity

Temporal Associations Between Disordered Eating and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Examining Symptom Overlap Over 1 Year

Non-suicidal self-injury in patients with eating disorder: Associations with identity formation above and beyond anxiety and depression

Personality profiles in Eating Disorders: Further evidence of the clinical utility of examining subtypes based on temperament

Nonsuicidal Self-injury in Asian Versus Caucasian University Students: Who, How, and Why?

Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Community Sample with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Why Stop Self-Injuring? Development of the Reasons to Stop Self-Injury Questionnaire

Treating nonsuicidal self-injury: A systematic review of psychological and pharmacological interventions

Risk-related and protective correlates of nonsuicidal self-injury and co-occurring suicide attempts among incarcerated women

How Often, or How Many Ways: Clarifying the Relationship Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicidality

Intrapersonal and interpersonal functions of non suicidal self-injury: Associations with emotional and social functioning

To Integrate or Not to Integrate Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with Other Therapy Approaches?

Psychotherapy for personality disorders

Research

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Laboratory Studies

Developmental Studies

Micro-longitudinal Studies

Grants

Honours & Awards

Our Research

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Affiliate Investigator, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
Research Fellow, Centre for Youth and Society, University of Victoria