Problem 3.
Homesickness and Loneliness
Loneliness is a significant trend in international students' interpersonal encounters (Sawir, Marginson, Deumert, Nyland, & Ramia, 2008). Some people explain their feelings of being unseen, alone, and excluded (Erichsen & Bolliger, 2011). Due to perceived cultural gaps, social-cultural isolation, language barriers, and time restrictions resulting from excessive learning, international students complain that communicating with the host community is a stressful task (Wright & Schartner, 2013). While many students who emigrate from their home country feel homesickness at some point (Chow & Healey 2008), international students can experience trauma as due to fast transition from home to another culture (Lowe & Cook, 2003). Homesickness has been defined as a state of longing and yearning for missing characteristics, which frequently manifests as depressive symptoms (Onabule & Boes, 2013). Other researchers have described the problem or impairment of home-separation (Stroebe et al., 2002; Thurber & Walton, 2012), where individuals often express depressive and anxious symptoms, withdrawn behavior, and trouble focusing on issues that are unrelated to home (Tochkov, Levine, & Sanaka, 2010). Additionally, homesickness can result in feelings of loneliness, despair, and adjustment issues for students new to university (Constantine, Anderson, et al., 2005). Additionally, homesickness can intensify present mood and anxiety disorders, prompting the development of new mental and physical health problems, and occasionally result in school dropout (Thurber & Walton, 2012).
References
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Chow, K., & Healey, M. (2008). Place attachment and place identity: First-year undergraduates making the transition from home to university. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(4), 362–372.
Erichsen, E. A., & Bolliger, D. U. (2011). Towards understanding international graduate student isolation in traditional and online environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 59, 309–326. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11423-010-9161-6.
Lowe, H., & Cook, A. (2003). Mind the gap: Are students prepared for higher education? Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27(1), 53-76.
Onabule, A. I., & Boes, S. R. (2013). International students’ likelihood to seek counseling while studying abroad. Journal of International Students, 3(1), 52-59.
Sawir, E., Marginson, S., Deumert, A., Nyland, C., & Ramia, G. (2008). Loneliness and international students: An Australian study. Journal of Studies in International Education, 12, 148–180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1028315307299699
Stroebe, M., Van Vliet, T., Hewstone, M., & Willis, H. (2002). Homesickness among students in two cultures: Antecedents and consequences. British Journal of Psychology, 93(2), 147–168. doi:10.1348/000712602162508
Thurber, C. A., & Walton, E. A. (2012). Homesickness and adjustment in university students. Journal of College Health, 60(5), 415-419. doi:10.1080/07448481.2012.673520
Tochkov, K., Levine, L., & Sanaka, A. (2010). Variation in the prediction of crosscultural adjustment by Asia-Indian students in the United States. College Student Journal, 44(3), 677-689.
Wright, C., & Schartner, A. (2013). ‘I can’t . . . I won’t?’ International students at the threshold of social interaction. Journal of Research in International Education, 12, 113–128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1475240913491055.