Do actions speak louder? The primacy of verbal person-centeredness for patients with invisible illness

Guided by conversationally induced reappraisal and discrepant verbal–nonverbal profile theories, this study examines how verbal person-centeredness (VPC) and nonverbal immediacy jointly influence emotional outcomes for patients with invisible illnesses. In a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 online experiment (N = 497), participants coping with anxiety or chronic pain received supportive messages varying in VPC, nonverbal immediacy, and source (health care provider vs. fellow patient). Structural equation modeling showed that high VPC had stronger indirect effects on emotional improvement via cognitive reappraisal and perceived goodwill than low VPC, regardless of support source. Nonverbal immediacy enhanced outcomes via perceived goodwill, but only when paired with high VPC, suggesting the primacy of verbal (in)validation in invisible illness contexts.