
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
Fields of research
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
1999
Book
Practitioner’s manual for Primary Care Triple P
Turner, K. M. T., Sanders, M. R. and Markie-Dadds, C. (1999). Practitioner’s manual for Primary Care Triple P. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Families International Publishing.
1999
Book
Consultation flip chart for Primary Care Triple P
Turner, Karen M. T., Markie-Dadds, Carol and Sanders, Matthew R. (1999). Consultation flip chart for Primary Care Triple P. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Families International Publishing.
1999
Book
Every Parent's Self-Help Workbook
Markie-Dadds, C., Sanders, M. R. and Turner, K. (1999). Every Parent's Self-Help Workbook. Milton, QLD, Australia: Families International.
1998
Book
Facilitator's manual for Group Triple P
Turner, Karen M. T., Markie-Dadds, Carol and Sanders, Matthew R. (1998). Facilitator's manual for Group Triple P. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Families International.
1998
Book
Practitioner’s manual for Enhanced Triple P
Sanders, Matthew R., Markie-Dadds, Carol and Turner, Karen M. T. (1998). Practitioner’s manual for Enhanced Triple P. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Families International Publishing.
1998
Book
Every parent's supplementary workbook
Markie-Dadds, Carol, Turner, Karen M. T. and Sanders, Matthew R. (1998). Every parent's supplementary workbook. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Families International Publishing.
1997
Book
Every parent's group workbook
Markie-Dadds, Carol, Turner, Karen M. T. and Sanders, Matthew R. (1997). Every parent's group workbook. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Families International.
1997
Journal Article
Mealtime Behaviour and Parent-Child Interaction: A Comparison of Children with Cystic Fibrosis, Children with Feeding Problems, and Nonclinic Controls
Sanders, Matthew R., Turner, Karen M. T., Wall, Clare R., Waugh, Linda M. and Tully, Lucy A. (1997). Mealtime Behaviour and Parent-Child Interaction: A Comparison of Children with Cystic Fibrosis, Children with Feeding Problems, and Nonclinic Controls. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 22 (6), 881-900. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/22.6.881
1996
Book Chapter
Paediatric psychology and the treatment of childhood disorders
Sanders, Matthew R., Turner, Karen M. T. and Markie- Dadds, Carol (1996). Paediatric psychology and the treatment of childhood disorders. (pp. 287-314) edited by Paul R. Martin and Jay S. Birnbrauer. South Melbourne, Vic., Australia: Macmillan Education.
1996
Conference Publication
The eating behaviour, attitude and nutrition knowledge of mothers of children with persistent feeding difficulties
Wall, C.R., Sanders, M.R. and Turner, K.M.T. (1996). The eating behaviour, attitude and nutrition knowledge of mothers of children with persistent feeding difficulties. 31st Annual Conference of the Nutrition-Society-of-New-Zealand, Dunedin New Zealand, August 1996. Palmerston North, New Zealand: The Nutrition Society of New Zealand.
1994
Journal Article
Behavioural parent training versus dietary education in the treatment of children with persistent feeding difficulties
Turner, Karen M. T., Sanders, Matthew R. and Wall, Claire R. (1994). Behavioural parent training versus dietary education in the treatment of children with persistent feeding difficulties. Behaviour Change, 11 (4), 242-258. doi: 10.1017/S0813483900004514
1993
Other Outputs
Paediatric feeding disorders
Turner, Karen Mary Thomas (1993). Paediatric feeding disorders. Master's Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
1986
Other Outputs
Women’s perceptions of child behaviour
Thomas, Karen Mary (1986). Women’s perceptions of child behaviour. Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Karen Turner is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Women's Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in Papua New Guinea
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Lant, Associate Professor Vigya Sharma
-
Doctor Philosophy
Women¿s Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in Papua New Guinea
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Lant, Associate Professor Vigya Sharma
-
Doctor Philosophy
Women's Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in Papua New Guinea
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Lant, Associate Professor Vigya Sharma
-
Doctor Philosophy
Indigenous parent wellbeing: Implications for early intervention parenting support in Indigenous communities
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating low intensity school based program to promote parent-teracher communication and collaboration
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Tellegen
-
Doctor Philosophy
Parents as partners in children's education: Evaluating the role of parental-self-regulation in effective home-school partnership
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Tellegen
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating low intensity school based program to promote parent-teracher communication and collaboration
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Tellegen
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Women's Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in Papua New Guinea
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Lant, Associate Professor Vigya Sharma
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Raising Children in Healthy Environments in India: Exploring `Familial Agency' to Mitigate the Negative Impact of Environmental Impoverishment
Principal Advisor
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Enhancing the Self-Efficacy and Wellbeing of Caregivers in Orphanages of Pakistan
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Broadening the reach of evidence-based parenting interventions: Evaluation of a brief online version of the Triple P - Positive Parenting Program
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating the Implementation and Sustainability of an Evidence-based Intervention: Delivering Triple P within Indigenous Child Welfare Agencies
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Karen Turner directly for media enquiries about:
- Child behaviour
- Parenting
- Parenting programs
- Triple P
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