THE EXPERIENCE AND EXPRESSION OF HOMESICKNESS IN PREADOLESCENT AND ADOLESCENT BOYS

This study is the first prospective longitudinal and clinical investig ation of homesickness in children. The moods of 329 boys ages 8-16 wer e assessed on a daily basis during either a 2- or 4-week period of sep aration from primary caregivers. Results supported 4 hypotheses: (1) h omesickness was prevalent and varied in intensity. 83% of the boys rep orted some homesickness on at least 1 day during their stay, and 5.8% experienced severe depression and anxiety; (2) homesickness was experi enced as a combination of depression and anxiety, particularly the for mer; (3) younger boys were at greater risk for homesickness than older boys; and (4) homesickness presented most often as internalizing beha vior and was sometimes detectable to observers who knew the boys. 63% of the boys who self-reported moderate or high levels of homesickness were judged by observers to be homesick. Inconsistent with popular not ions, the most homesick boys became progressively more homesick over t he course of their separation, experiencing a significant drop in home sickness just before reuniting with parents. The phenomenology of home sickness is discussed, as are issues of simultaneous depression and an xiety in children.