Homesickness

Homesick for Naples (1895), painting by Bertha Worms

Homesickness is the distress caused by being away from home.[1] Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home and attachment objects.[2] Sufferers typically report a combination of depressive and anxious symptoms, withdrawn behavior and difficulty focusing on topics unrelated to home.[3][4][5] Experienced by children and adults,[6] the affected person may be taking a short trip to a nearby place, such as summer camp, or they may be taking a long trip or have moved to a different country.[6]

In its mild form, homesickness prompts the development of coping skills and motivates healthy attachment behaviors, such as renewing contact with loved ones.[7] Nearly all people miss something about home when they are away, making homesickness a nearly universal experience.[8] However, intense homesickness can be painful and debilitating.[9][10]

  1. ^ Kerns, Brumariu, Abraham. Kathryn A., Laura E., Michelle M.(2009/04/13). Homesickness at summer camp. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54.
  2. ^ Thurber, C.A. & Walton, E.A. (2007). Preventing and treating homesickness. Pediatrics, 119, 843–858.
  3. ^ Thurber, C.A., Sigman, M.D., Weisz, J.R., & Schmidt, C.K. (1999). Homesickness in preadolescent and adolescent girls: Risk factors, behavioral correlates, and sequelae. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 28, 185–196.
  4. ^ Thurber, C.A. (1999). The phenomenology of homesickness in boys. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27, 125–139.
  5. ^ Fisher, S. (1989). Homesickness, Cognition, and Health. Hove, UK: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  6. ^ a b Gismondi, Melissa J. (2020-11-18). "You Can't Run Away from Homesickness". The Walrus. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  7. ^ Thurber, C.A. & Weisz, J.R. (1997). "You Can Try or You Can Just Give Up": The impact of perceived control and coping style on childhood homesickness. Developmental Psychology, 33, 508–517.
  8. ^ van Tilburg, M.A.L. & Vingerhoets, A. (Eds.) (1997). Acculturation stress and homesickness. Tilburg, The Netherlands: Tilburg University Press.
  9. ^ Thurber, C.A. & Walton, E.A. (2012). Homesickness and adjustment in university students. Journal of American College Health, 60, 1–5.
  10. ^ Fisher, S. & Hood, B. (1987). The stress of the transition to university: A longitudinal study of psychological disturbance, absent-mindedness and vulnerability to homesickness. British Journal of Psychology, 78, 425–441.