Amanda Holmstrom Ph.D.

Amanda Holmstrom

Professor

Department
  • Communication
holmstr6@msu.edu

Bio

Dr. Holmstrom is a professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Her scholarly work focuses primarily on the communication of various forms of social support in relationships and their association with indices of physical, mental, and relational well being. Other, related areas of interest include relational and family communication, health communication, gender and sex differences in supportive communication, and the development and maintenance of self-esteem.

Dr. Holmstrom's research spans multiple contexts. For example, recent work examines supportive messages provided by parole and probation agents to their clients; social support in the context of farm stress; and support exchanged in American friendships.

Research and Teaching

Social support, interpersonal communication, health communication

Related Work

Professor Esther Thorson smiling with a student she reconnected with
Researchers Receive International Honors and Attention
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Professor Amanda Holmstrom standing in front of bookcase
Professor Amanda Holmstrom Ranked in the Top 1% of Individuals Publishing in Communication Journals
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Communication senior Julianna Blain posing outdoors against a wall.
Student Uses Communication to Overcome Past
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Mandy Holmstrom in her office standing next to her bookcase.
Top Papers Showcased at International Conference​
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Professor Bree Holz standing crossed armed in the hallway of the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences building.
Professor to Develop App for Diabetes Management
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New Faculty excellence advocate | Photo of Amanda Holmstrom
Amanda Holmstrom appointed as ComArtSci’s new Faculty Excellence Advocate 
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National Communication Association logo
NCA 108th Annual Convention lineup for ComArtSci researchers
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Sandi Smith Research Fellowship | Photo of Jong In Lim and Hanjie Liu
HRCC Sandi Smith Research Fellowship awarded to Jong In Lim & Hanjie Liu
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Selected Recent Publications

Hall, J., Pennington, N., & Holmstrom, A. J. (2025). Lonely and connected: The ambivalence of sociality in a time of transitions. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334787

Holmstrom, A. J., Morash, M., & Witwer, A. (2025). Trait self-efficacy as a moderator of esteem support message effects in the parole/probation agent-client relationship. Communication Studies, 76, 410-429. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2025.2460238

Holmstrom, A. J., Morash, M., & Witwer, A. (2025). The roles of verbal person-centeredness, race, and gender in evaluations of emotional support messages parole and probation clients receive from agents. Communication Quarterly.  https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2025.2478836

Pennington, N., Hall, J., & Holmstrom, A. J. (2024). The American Friendship Project: A report on the status and health of friendship in America. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305834

Holmstrom, A. J., & Shelle, G. (2024). Growing Resilience in Tough Times (GRITT): A text-messaging intervention to enhance farmers’ mental health literacy. Journal of Agromedicine, 29, 392-403. https://doi.org/10.1080/1059924X.2024.2334016

Holmstrom, A. J., Shebib, S. J., & Lim, J. I. (2023). Training versus responsiveness in supportive interactions employing confederates: A dynamic dyadic systems approach. Communication Methods & Measures, 17, 307-327. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2023.2227087

Contact Information

404 Wilson Rd, Room
Communication Arts and Sciences Building
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824