Crying wolf: A thematic and critical analysis of why individuals contest family members’ health complaints

Thompson, Charee M.; Duerringer, Christopher M.

doi:10.1080/03637751.2019.1709127

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…By using intentional wording, clarifying the difference between allergies and intolerances or sensitivities, working to explain specific types of lesser understood allergies, and combating misuse of the term "allergy," parents in our sample worked hard to convince people that food allergies are real and that they must be treated seriously. Like other invisible conditions, food allergy is a contested illness (Thompson & Duerringer, 2020) that can remain so even after parents invest significant time and energy into convincing parties otherwise. In fact, scholars have suggested that working to legitimate a health condition, or what Werner & Malterud, (2003) deem "credibility work," is especially taxing (Thompson & Duerringer, 2020).…”

Section: Theoretical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like other invisible conditions, food allergy is a contested illness (Thompson & Duerringer, 2020) that can remain so even after parents invest significant time and energy into convincing parties otherwise. In fact, scholars have suggested that working to legitimate a health condition, or what Werner & Malterud, (2003) deem "credibility work," is especially taxing (Thompson & Duerringer, 2020). While dismissal, disbelief, and delegitimization of illness are not new (Thompson & Duerringer, 2020, Thompson & Parsloe, 2019Werner & Malterud, 2003) in the case of food allergy contesting the condition could actually put lives at risk, and threaten the ability to manage the disease, especially for young children who might not have the verbal or cognitive capacity to advocate for themselves.…”

Section: Theoretical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parents’ Communication Work in the Management of Food Allergies

Bute

Bowers

Park

2021

Health Communication

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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM, 2017) has identified food allergies as a critical public health issue that significantly affects quality of life for patients and their families. Despite the crisis-level status of food allergies, especially in children, there are currently no curative treatments. As a result, impacted families must learn how to carry the burden of disease management. Using an expanded application of the concept of communication work (Donovan-Kicken et al., 2012), this study features data from interviews with 26 parents of food allergic children and explores how parents navigate the nuances of food allergy maintenance while negotiating and preserving valued relationships and identities through everyday talk. Results revealed that parents used communication to legitimate food allergy, balance potential face-threats with identity and relational goals, and coordinate care with spouses. Due to the lack of therapeutic treatment options, we found that parents utilize communication work, which is both demanding and effortful, as a form of disease management.

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Section: Theoretical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parents’ Communication Work in the Management of Food Allergies

Bute

Bowers

Park

2021

Health Communication

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“…Specifically, ascribing family members as having negative character traits not only justified participants' doubt and doubt responses, but also positioned participants as superior in the relationship. Consequently, as "good" family members, participants' identity gaps were justified; rather, the locus of turmoil associated with identity gaps was located within their family member's "bad" personal identity, effectively casting family members as (un)deserving of participants' support and empathy (Crowley & Miller, 2020;Thompson & Duerringer, 2020). Family member's failed relational role(s).…”

Section: Reinscribing Negative Relational Identitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Uncertainty can also be social and personal as individuals navigate the respective relational and identity implications of a family member’s health issues (Brashers et al, 2003). The identity negotiation aspects of uncertainty management (Brashers et al, 2000) are made more challenging when individuals doubt a family member’s health issues are real, severe, or even possible (Thompson & Duerringer, 2020; Thompson et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Doubt is a form of ontological uncertainty that entwines some of the most difficult aspects of medical, personal, and social uncertainty (see Thompson & Duerringer, 2020; Thompson et al, 2020). Concerning medical uncertainty, doubt reveals people’s strong need for—and often inability to obtain—labels and diagnosis to organize their experiences of another’s illness and to provide a course of action (e.g., treatment; Jutel, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“I changed, I had to realize that I was wrong”: Identity gap management amidst evolving illness uncertainty

Thompson

Babu

Romo

et al. 2021

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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Doubt that a family member’s health issues are real, severe, or even possible entwines some of the most challenging aspects of medical, personal, and social uncertainty. Although several studies have examined doubt, this investigation focuses on how doubt evolves and foregrounds the identity implications of uncertainty. Guided by Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), the purpose of this study was to explore the identity gaps people experience as they navigate evolving doubt about a family member’s health and how they manage those identity gaps. We interviewed 33 individuals in the U.S. about a family member’s health issues that they doubted but began to believe. Our analysis uncovered three identity gaps among personal, relational, and enacted layers of identity: personal-enacted, relational-enacted, and personal-relational-enacted identity gaps. Participants managed identity gaps in two primary ways: (a) closing gaps by altering personal, relational, or enacted layers of their own identity; and (b) maintaining identity gaps by putting the locus of responsibility for identity change within their family member’s relational identities. This study offers theoretical implications for CTI as well as practical implications for individuals navigating doubt and evolving illness uncertainty in their family relationships.

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E-sisters and the case of the Essure coil: power, representation, and voice in women’s public docket accounts to the FDA of medical device adverse events

Hintz

Applequist

2023

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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Crying wolf: A thematic and critical analysis of why individuals contest family members’ health complaints

Cited by 21 publications

References 39 publications

Parents’ Communication Work in the Management of Food Allergies

Parents’ Communication Work in the Management of Food Allergies

“I changed, I had to realize that I was wrong”: Identity gap management amidst evolving illness uncertainty

E-sisters and the case of the Essure coil: power, representation, and voice in women’s public docket accounts to the FDA of medical device adverse events

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