Contact Information
702 South Wright St
M/C 456
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Areas
Research Interests
- interpersonal and health communication
- patient-provider communication
- uncertainty, stigma, contested illness, illness work
Research Description
I study health communication in personal and patient-provider relationships, specifically focusing on the role uncertainty plays in how people understand health. My research illuminates two perspectives: individuals’ understandings of their own health and individuals’ understandings of others’ health. My first line of research examines how people in personal relationships navigate illness uncertainty and uncertain illnesses, primarily those conditions such as mental illness and chronic pain that are not visible and not well understood. My second research area involves improving health care through educational trainings for medical students and physicians centered on uncertainty management, including implicit bias.
Education
University of Texas at Austin, Communication, Ph.D.
Arizona State University, Communication, B.A., M.A.
Courses Taught
CMN 462: Interpersonal Health Communication
Additional Campus Affiliations
Associate Professor, Communication
Associate Professor, Biomedical and Translational Sciences
Recent Publications
Kerr, A. M., Thompson, C. M., Stewart, C. A., & Rakowsky, A. (2023). “I Want Them to Still Trust Me with Their Child’s Care”: A Longitudinal Study of Pediatric Residents’ Reactions to and Communication with Parents about Medical Uncertainty across Residency. Health communication, 38(5), 1054-1064. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1991637
Taniguchi-Dorios, E., Thompson, C. M., & Reid, T. (2023). Testing a Model of Disclosure, Perceived Support Quality, and Well-Being in the College Student Mental Illness Context: A Weekly Diary Study. Health communication, 38(11), 2516-2526. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2086841
Thompson, C. M., Taniguchi-Dorios, E., & Reid, T. (2023). Further examination of the support quandary hypothesis: a weekly diary study of how uncertainty both motivates and challenges supporting close others with mental illness. Human Communication Research, Article hqad032. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqad032
Voorhees, H. L., Makos, S., Babu, S., Taniguchi-Dorios, E., & Thompson, C. M. (2023). People who help people: A needs assessment of those who provide interpersonal support to individuals with chronic illnesses. Personal Relationships, 30(3), 1072-1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12491
Caban, S., Makos, S., & Thompson, C. M. (Accepted/In press). The Role of Interpersonal Communication in Mental Health Literacy Interventions for Young People: A Theoretical Review. Health communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2121473