Homesickness as Seafarers' Form of Grief

Gobenciong, Eden Grace L.

Lugasan, Lorie Hazel R.
Tan, Rina Charmaine R.

Introduction
Review of Related Literature
Homesickness as a Form of Grief
Homesickness is not a new phenomenon. As a matter of fact the said term is existent in
many languages. It is used in describing psychological experiences which happens after a
significant transition. It is usually evident in cases wherein a person leaves home, which
includes the persons family and friends, to live in another location. It is common among the
young population who leave home for the purpose of education, training and vocation.
At the young age of seven, children in United Kingdom leave home and become boarders
to attend a primary school. These circumstances are often among those belonging in the upper
socio-economic class. As part of an advantaged educational system in U.K, children are being
sent to schools. But in the moment they violate the law and commit even minor crimes, they are
also to be discharged from their homes.
Homesickness is commonly linked to experiences of missing home. Some of the
definitions for this term even include symptoms. For example, a common translation is
depressed by absence from home. An indication of this is that a person strongly longs and
laments to return to the departed home. As a result, the person then becomes depressed (Fisher,
1989).
According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), while separation anxiety
disorder is identified by inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from
those to whom the individual is attached, the expression of homesickness are noticeable after a
disengagement and consists both the presence of depression and anxiety. In DSM terms,

homesickness may be similar to Separation Anxiety Disorder, but it may be more appropriate to
classify it as either an Adjustment Disorder tied with anxiety and depressed mood, or for
immigrants and foreign students as Acculturation Difficulty.
Kerns (2009) defined homesickness as the distress or impairment caused by an actual or
anticipated separation from home and people and things youre familiar with. Thruber (2007)
adds that its cognitive trademark is being absorbed thinking about home and attachment objects.
People suffering from homesickness generally notice a combination of depressive and anxious
symptoms, disinterested behavior and has trouble concentrating on topics that are not related to
home (Thurber, 1999).
According to Fisher (2013), homesickness is said to be similar with grief in that it seems
to have a very distinct indication of being distressed which is linked with a recognized source.
However serious the grief response may be, it is usually thought of as non-clinical since grieving
is considered to be a natural response to sorrow.
It occurs that the reaction patterns in both grief and homesickness have a single
psychological component (life event), wherein the properties are known, can trigger the
experience of a distress reaction which is created within the limitation of the process of normal
mechanisms. There is a probability that both grief and homesickness are patterns of reactive
depression which may be clinical in some cases and could also differ in cognitive aspects from
other patterns of depression.
Moreover, a typical feature significant to depressed mood may be the absence of control.
The homesick longs to (but cannot) bring back the routinary experience of being at home; the

grieving cannot revive the experience of being with the dead person. It is the inability to counter
the predicament that is the common denominator which results to depression (Fisher, 1989).
Philippines, as part of the Third World countries, has citizens who resort to working
abroad thinking of giving their families a better and a well-off life. Knowing that Philippines has
an unstable economic situation, low employment rate and poor benefits of Filipino workers, who
would not be encouraged to leave this country and get the benefits and opportunities abroad?
However, leaving its motherland implies a long list of sacrifices.
One of the drawbacks of seafarers is being separated from their family members and its
limited ability to stay in touch with them while on board. Working abroad entails the idea that
their primary means of communication will only be through mobile phones to call and send
messages to their loved ones. It also implies that they are deprived of watching their children
grow and guiding them as well. Hence, developing homesickness for both seafarers and their
families is unavoidable.
A research was conducted among harbor physicians in Rotterdam and identified three
leading psychological difficulties between seafarers which were loneliness, homesickness and
burn-out syndrome (Thomas, Sampson, & Zhao, 2004). One of the primary reasons why these
problems develop is the fact that seafarers are away from their loved ones. The stress caused by
this separation may result to homesickness, marital and family problems which could lead to
suicides at sea.
We cannot deny the fact that life on board is very stressful due to hectic schedule,
onboard politics and unavailability of fresh food. However, besides these issues, their longing for
love and affection from their families contribute to the aggravation of their stress. Although most

of the seafarers can accept that their social life would be reduced for months, being detached
from their families is what they could not emotionally and physically grasp. There are seafarers
who just started their married life while others have just freshly experienced being a parent. The
fact of being away for several months from their families and not being able to witness their
child growing up by their side, would hurt both parties which often result for seafarers to give up
their career on the boat (Kantharia, 2013). In addition, homesickness plays a significant role why
seafarers have reduced their level of satisfaction regarding their job (Elif & Ozcan).
A study was conducted about the problems encountered by seafarers onboard. There were
five most common problems identified: homesickness and boredom, seafarers feel underrated
and have low self-esteem, job securities, seafarers lack ability to concentrate on the job and
inability to access and use service equipments. Based on their analysis, seafarers often face
homesickness and boredom because of the inability to talk to their families (Akindehin, et al.,
2015).
University of Hull (Hull) defined homesickness as a form of grieving over the loss of
people close to an individual, familiar places and practices. It involves the realization of the
person that life continues without them. People who experience homesickness often feel that they
cannot manage or control over their environment as well as adapt to them. For example students
who were separated from their family and home as they enter college would experience
homesickness. Activities that seem to be easy for them before might suddenly feel very
stimulating and challenging in places that are new to them. Homesickness can also affect ones
self-esteem and confidence. It is said that homesickness is a form of grief. In this study, the
researchers will look into the experiences of Filipino seafarers and conduct a one on one
interview with them using an interview schedule to hear their personal stories and experiences of

homesickness. At the end of the study, the researchers would like to answer the following
questions: What is the relationship between homesickness and grief? In what way(s) are
homesickness and grief similar? How can we categorize homesickness as a form of grief?

Introduction
Review of Related Literature
Grief
Grief is often linked as an emotional response to a death of a friend or a family member.
Apparently, grief has been defined by Sue Morris of the Australian Psychological Society, as not
only an intense emotional and physical reaction a person experiences after a loved ones death
but an intense yearning to be with that person again. (Morris, 2016) But since death of a loved
one is believed to be the strongest stressor in ones life (Holmes & Rahe, 1967), it has been the
common precursor to grief.
Grief has been considered as a natural response to a loss. In fact, human beings have been
considered to be naturally resilient and can endure loss. But the problem is that not all people can
be resilient and not all people can cope effectively. Some struggle with grief for longer periods of
time and cannot go back to their normal routine and that is called complicated grief and people
who suffer from this can consult a licensed psychologist or a mental health professional
(American Psychological Association, 2016). With that, a psychologist can be of help in terms
of building resilience to the person and helping the person develop strategies to cope with their
sadness. One of the treatments psychologists do is psychotherapy (American Psychological
Association, 2016).
According to Stephenson (1985), there are three types of losses a person can experience
which can possibly lead to grief. One of which is a loss of a significant person, loss of a
significant object and loss of a part of the self. Again, it does not necessarily mean that you have
to loss something permanently to experience grief but it happens even during temporary losses.

Stephenson (1985) further mentioned in his book that a separation from a significant person may
result to reactions that are closely the same to those who actually experience death. This only
implies that separation may result to grief as well. That is why homesickness can now be defined
as a form of grief.

Homesickness
Homesickness is not a new phenomenon. As a matter of fact the said term is existent in
many languages. It is used in describing psychological experiences which happens after a
significant transition. It is usually evident in cases where in a person leaves home, which
includes the persons family and friends, to live in another location. It is common among the
young population who leave home for the purpose of education, training and vocation.
At the young age of seven, children in United Kingdom leave home and become boarders
to attend a primary school. These circumstances are often among those belonging in the upper
socio-economic class. As part of an advantaged educational system in U.K, children are being
sent to schools. But in the moment they violate the law and commit even minor crimes, they are
also to be discharged from their homes.
Homesickness is commonly linked to experiences of missing home. Some of the
definitions for this term even include symptoms. For example, a common translation is
depressed by absence from home. An indication of this is that a person strongly longs and
laments to return to the departed home. As a result, the person then becomes depressed (Fisher,
1989).
According to the American Psychiatric Association, while separation anxiety disorder is
identified by inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to
whom the individual is attached, the expression of homesickness are noticeable after a
disengagement and consists both the presence of depression and anxiety. In DSM terms,
homesickness may be similar to Separation Anxiety Disorder, but it may be more appropriate to

classify it as either an Adjustment Disorder tied with anxiety and depressed mood, or for
immigrants and foreign students as Acculturation Difficulty (2013).
Kerns (2009) defined homesickness as the distress or impairment caused by an actual or
anticipated separation from home and people and things youre familiar with. Thruber (2007)
adds that its cognitive trademark is being absorbed thinking about home and attachment objects.
People suffering from homesickness generally notice a combination of depressive and anxious
symptoms, disinterested behavior and has trouble concentrating on topics unrelated to home
(Thurber, 1999).
According to Fisher (2013), homesickness is said to be similar with grief in that it seems
to have a very distinct indication of being distressed which is linked with a recognized source.
However serious the grief response may be, it is usually thought of as non-clinical since grieving
is considered to be a natural response to sorrow.
It appears that in the case of both the grief and homesickness reaction patterns, a single
psychogenic factor (life event), the properties of which are known, can precipitate the experience
of a distress reaction which is engineered within the constraint of the operation of normal
mechanisms.
One possibility is that both grief and homesickness are forms of reactive depression
which could be clinical in some cases and which differ in cognitive aspects from other forms of
depression.
A common denominator central to depressed mood may be loss of control. The homesick
person desires to (but cannot) restore the daily experience of being at home; the bereaved cannot
restore the experience of being with the deceased. It is the lack of ability to reverse the situation
that is the common denominator which leads to depression.
OFWs in the Philippines
Philippines, as part of the Third World countries, has citizens who resort to working
abroad thinking of giving their families a better and a well-off life. Knowing that Philippines has
an unstable economic situation, low employment rate and poor benefits of Filipino workers, who

would not be encouraged to leave this country and get the benefits and opportunities abroad?
However, leaving its motherland implies a long list of sacrifices.
One of the drawbacks of seafarers is being separated from their family members and its
limited ability to stay in touch with them while on board. Working abroad entails the idea that
their primary means of communication will only be through mobile phones to call and send
messages to their loved ones. It also implies that they are deprived of watching their children
grow and guiding them as well. Hence, developing homesickness for both seafarers and their
families is unavoidable.
A research was conducted among harbor physicians in Rotterdam and identified three
leading psychological difficulties between seafarers which were loneliness, homesickness and
burn-out syndrome (Thomas, Sampson, & Zhao, 2004). One of the primary reasons why these
problems develop is the fact that seafarers are away from their loved ones. The stress caused by
this separation may result to homesickness, marital and family problems which could lead to
suicides at sea.
We cannot deny the fact that life on board is very stressful due to hectic schedule,
onboard politics and unavailability of fresh food. However, besides these issues, their longing for
love and affection from their families contribute to the aggravation of their stress. Although most
of the seafarers can accept that their social life would be reduced for months, being detached
from their families is what they could not emotionally and physically grasp. There are seafarers
who just started their married life while others have just freshly experienced being a parent. The
fact of being away for several months from their families and not being able to witness their
child growing up by their side, would hurt both parties which often result for seafarers to give up

their career on the boat (Kantharia, 2013). In addition, homesickness plays a significant role why
seafarers have reduced their level of satisfaction regarding their job (Elif & Ozcan).
A study was conducted about the problems encountered by seafarers onboard. There were
five most common problems identified: homesickness and boredom, seafarers feel underrated
and have low self-esteem, job securities, seafarers lack ability to concentrate on the job and
inability to access and use service equipments. Based on their analysis, seafarers often face
homesickness and boredom because of the inability to talk to their families (Akindehin, et al.,
2015)
Indeed, the life of a seafarer is very challenging, especially for Filipinos. Knowing that
the Filipino culture has a strong and tight family bond, it is extra hard for them to be separated
from their loved ones. In a study, many of the respondents mentioned that the two hardest parts
of working abroad are the rough sea and the feeling of homesickness (Lindgren & Nilsson,
2012). Being detached from their family for several months or years can be very difficult and
some might find it hard to cope and therefore lead to some serious psychological problems. In
order for them to combat this feeling of homesickness, they spend their leisure time with their
colleagues and even mentioned that they are like a family on board. However, the love and care
coming from their families are still different from what they experience on the boat. Some
seafarers, since most Filipinos are Christians, turn to their religion when they experience
homesickness. Basically, seafarers have different strategies in coping each time they feel
distressed from being away from their homes.
Method
Research Design

A one-on-one interview was used as a research design for this study. This is an in-depth
interview conducted one-on-one between an individual interviewee and interviewer. This
research design was used because researchers were interested in finding out the sentiments and
experiences underlying the opinions expressed by each interviewees. By using this design, it was
believed that the open-ended questions how and why will be answered and probed well.
Participants
Five male seafarers were selected to participate in the study through convenient
purposive sampling. This sampling method is used because the study is interested in the
experiences of the seafarers in particular and it requires the researchers to look for them since
their availability is rather limited. Lastly, the researchers also wanted the best possible
participants for the data to be valid that is why they have to make use of purposive sampling.
Procedure
The researchers and the interviewees agreed to conduct the interview at their respective
houses where it was said to be the most comfortable place for both parties. This was done so that
the researchers could facilitate a more enthusiastic and edifying exchange of ideas. The
interviewer together with the other researchers started the discussion by providing each
interviewee a short overview of the study and by introducing themselves to them. Each
interviewee was encouraged to share their respective experiences freely and was informed that a
recorder was present to document their answers. The interview went smooth as the interviewer
built rapport by smiling and joking. The interviewees later then excitedly shared their
experiences and responded to each of the questions asked.

Materials
The researchers used a voice recorder to record the entire discussion with the consent
from the interviewee. The interviewer used a semi-structured interview guide that comprises a
series of questions while the remaining researchers used a notepad for their observations during
the conversation. The guide questions include the following:
1.

Kakan-o ka nag-abroad?

2.

Kayano ka nag-seaman?

3.

Ano an rason han imo pag-abroad?

4.

Ano an imo gin-abat san-o ka lumakat?

5.

Pira ka tuig ka nagtrabaho ha barko?

6.

An una nga mga adlaw nga imo pagtrabaho ha barko, ano an imo mga gin-abat?

7.

Makapira mo ginhuna-huna it imo pamilya ha Pilipinas?

8.

Makapira mo macontact ha usa ka adlaw (kun diri nacocontact) ha usa ka adlaw, ha usa ka

semana nala) it imo pamilya ha Pilipinas?

9.

Kun naka-uli ka pira anay ka bulan o tuig ka anay nastay san-o ka lumakat utro?

10. Ano tim inaabat kada nahihinumduman mo it imo pamilya ngan imo kinabuhi didi ha
Pilipinas?

11. Cite examples han mga notable experiences mo while working ha barko.
12. Para ha imo, ano it homesickness?
13. Naka-experience ka ba hin homesickness?
14. Gaano kaiha it imo naexperiencena homesickness?
15. Ano it imo ginhihimo pag naka-experience ka hin homesickness?
16. Paano mo nagagawas tim mga inaabat kun naka-eksperyensya ka hin homesickness?
17. Mas nagtitika-grabe pa ba it imo ginaabat nga homesickness kun nagtitika-iha na?
18. Kun nagtitika-grabe, paano?
19.

Ano it butang nga napatrigger hit homesickness?

20. Naka-apekto ba it homesickness ha imo trabaho?

21. Paano naka-apekto it homesickness ha imo trabaho?
22. Ano it pinagkaiba hit aldaw nga naka-experience ka hin homesickness ngan hit adlaw na
diri?

Data Analysis

The data gathered in the one on one interview was interpreted through Thematic
Analysis. The transcriptions of each interview were acquired and analysed through looking at
patterns at the data sets gathered such as the common theme of the responses and was
categorized through themes. These themes were discussed and used to explain how
homesickness experienced by seafarers can be a form of grieving.

Results
We summarized the transcribed responses of the five (5) participants and came up with
key themes that could be observed in the responses based from the interview guides. Overall,
there were 4 themes that emerged and each theme consists of subthemes.
One major theme that emerged was Reasons for going abroad. Under this theme are two
(2) subthemes namely: To get a job and To travel.

In the subtheme To get a job, the researchers found out that the reason why the
participants left the country is to get a job and have a sufficient income not only for themselves
but mainly for their family.
Nagsiring man an imo uncle Jan-jan nga maupay it kita. So, guintistingan ko hiya. Tas
bagat waray man ako nabibilngan nga trabaho han akon daan nga course nga maupay it kita
liwat.
Para umangat ha kinabuhi.
Kasi ano by the fact na malaki yung kita kaysa dito.
With this, we can see that most of the participants chose to leave the country for the
reason that they wanted to look for a job and earn a higher salary in order to improve the quality
of their lives.
Another subtheme under Reasons for going abroad is To travel. It was imminent in the
responses that the participants wanted to experience and explore a different culture.
Syempre as a part of growing up gusto mo makakita ahh mga lain nga lugar
Singapore, Thailand, mga lain tas makaexperience ilang culture.
Aside from getting a job and having enough salary, some interviewees wanted to visit and
explore different countries such as Singapore and Thailand.
Another major theme that emerged was Feelings. There were many emotions felt by the
participants before and during their work which was expected from them since their job is

emotionally challenging. We have categorized these feelings into two (2) namely: Feelings
before going abroad and Feelings while on board.
In the subtheme Feelings before going abroad, it focused on the emotional state of the
participants days before their departure from respective homes.
Nandun yung lungkot, nandun din yung ano nervous, at saka masaya. Lungkot na ano
hiwalay sa pamilya pero okay lang naman kasi may internet, tsaka nervous kasi baka ano yung
mga kasama mo sa, mga katrabaho ko di mo alam kung ano yung mga ugali kasi iba iba yung
mga kultura. Tapos Masaya kasi may ano naman may kita.
Guinkulba kay first time ko magtrabaho hin sugad ini. Guinrisyo kay bagat bag-o man
ini nga experience ha akon tapos barko man gud it ak sasakyan so damo it amon kakadtuan.
Magpa-panaabot bis ako diin ba.
At first place, medyo excited ka. Daghay kuan ba, through experience, daghay imong
expectations ba pero excited ka.
It implies that there were several emotions that the participants had experienced before
they started working in the ship such as excitement, anxiety, and sadness.
In contrast with the prior subtheme, Feelings while on board focused on the emotions of
participants while they are on board.
Pagud kasi dahil sa ano time zone kasi yun biyahe, biyahe ng ilang oras may oras na
umaabot ng ano 9 hrs, 8, yung connecting flights, iba iba naman yung time zone nag aadjust ka
sa oras sa ano din sa lugar tapos pressure.

Pressure, nakaka ano din, nakakapanibago kasi parang hindi mo usual na ano sa, hindi
ka sanay kasi first time tapos yung environment mo is lahat ano talaga dagat.
At first place, medyo excited ka. Daghay kuan ba, through experience, daghay imong
expectations ba pero excited ka. Then diri nimo mamind nga ginkuan nimo, tungod sa
experience nimo. Then saaa, after na, so on board na, anha kana mag.. mafeel na nimo ang
homesickness.
Excited na nahadlok nga waray nga marisyo.
As what the responses portray, many of the participants experienced exhaustion and
pressure from their work, and feelings of strangeness because of the new environment they were
exposed in.
Another major theme that emerged was the Effects of homesickness which basically
talks about the observed changes in the behavior of the seafarers after experiencing
homesickness. Changes in appetite, Altered sleeping pattern, and Stunted work productivity
were the noticeable changes that we considered to be the subthemes of this particular theme.
Changes in appetite. The interviewees admitted that there were necessary changes in
their appetite as they experienced homesickness.
Kapag hindi ako nakakaexperience ng homesickness masarap kumain.
Tapos mao na tong difficult ka sa pagkaon.

Waray ka ginganahan pagtrabaho? Waray ka ginganahan pagkaon? Waray ka

pangangaturog? Oo. (interviewees answer)
Another effect of homesickness is Altered sleeping pattern. The interviewees also shared
that they had difficulty being able to sleep at night because of homesickness.
Diri gad na-apektuhan an pagkaon, kay kun maapektuhan, kulang tim paghuna-huna.
Kulang tim pag-isip. Pagkaturog la.
Diri ka mangaturog tungod han balod kay iba man na lugar..
Stunted Work Productivity. Most of the interviewees admitted that their work
productivity is affected every time they wallow to homesickness.
.Nababawasan yung energy at pagiging productive ko sa work.
Oo nakaka apketo rin kasi parang nawawala yung concentration ko sa trabaho kasi
dahil nga don sa homesickness pero di naman gaano siguro out of 100 percent nakaka apekto
siya mga 20 percent
Kay paginisipun nimo ito na homesiness, na-apektuhan tim pagtrabaho. Di ka
gaganahan pagkaon. Di ka gaganahan pagtrabaho.
These significant changes in the behavior of the interviewees gave the researchers the
idea that homesickness can be a form of grieving as it shows almost the same effects such as
changes in appetite, altered sleeping behavior, and stunted work productivity.

Lastly, we have observed that the interviewees in this study have been able to cope with
the distress caused by working away from their families. With that, Coping styles for
homesickness became the last but definitely not the least theme. Their coping styles were
characterized into two (2) which are: Active coping and Avoidant coping.
Active Coping strategies involve an awareness of the stressor, followed by efforts to
lessen the unfavorable effect. The participants alleviated their homesickness by contacting and
communicating with their family through text, call or the internet.
Hindi ko naman sila nakakalimutang ikumusta araw araw. Nag chachat ako.
I try pagtawag. Noh, tawag. Internet, tawag. Mao na gyud nay pinakanumber 1.
Kastorya nimo imo pamilya.
Ah, internet tas mayda telephone, mayda satellite an amon communication.
Their responses depicted that they can minimize or lessen the feeling of homesickness by
means of communicating with their loved ones through phone calls and internet.
Avoidant coping, in contrast, is characterized by ignoring the issue, resulting in activities
that aid in the denial of the problem. Participants also engaged in recreational activities like
watching movies and playing chess while others resort to drinking and sleeping to serve as a
distraction of the homesickness they are feeling.
. So I try DOTA. Nagdota ako. Tapos movies. Movies. Naay nimo balong hard drive.
Tapos, di ngani, mangawil ko sa dagat. Naay stambay, mangawil. Kung sure nimo daghay isda,

malingaw ka. Kung way isda, d wa kay malingaw. Tapos chess, tapos everything nalang na
pwede nimo himuon. Gitara, tapos basa kag bible.
Ang iba is nag iinom para marelieve siguro. Dili na sa ako la. Mao na gyud ni ang
reality ba.
Wala may nakakuan, siguro kun ada sa tawo nga kamao mangitag way para marelieve
siya, sige siyag kun muduong ang barko magdisco siya , okay lang diba. Kay lingaw man siya.
Movies. Mga tape. Para di ka mahomesick.
Bagat imposible mo diri mahuna hunaan pero gn iignore ko nala ito tas mafocus la ha
trabaho, makaon, makaturog, makadto ha recreation area.
Mayda man kami didto recreation area. Adto mga sidngon ta, murulayan. Billiard, PSP,
mayda table tennis. Damo la. Tas may TV, may music room. Makadto ka la. Kun hilig mo
magkape, magkakape ka. Kun hilig mo kumaon, magkikinaon ka.
The seafarers in our study also had their own coping styles as to how they will respond to
the emotional pain of being away from their respective homes and families. Just like grieving,
homesickness has also led people to different coping strategies such as active and avoidant
coping.
Discussion
In the Philippines, poverty is rampant which results to Filipinos working abroad hoping
that they could give their families and loved ones a better and improved life. However, leaving

the country entails a long list of sacrifices from both the seafarer and his members. Due to this,
some might experience several emotions from the fact that they will be separated from their
homes and be exposed to a new, different environment for a long period of time. From the results
that the researchers have gathered, it showed that Filipino workers, seafarers particularly,
experienced homesickness while they are onboard. As what Akindehin and colleagues (2015)
reported, seafarers often face homesickness and boredom because of the inability to talk to their
families. This feeling of longing and insufficient power to communicate with their families
explains the seafarers changes in appetite, altered sleeping pattern, and stunted work
productivity.
The results gathered from the data showed that homesickness can be categorized as a form
of grief in that both share similar characteristics. As Fishner (1989) pointed out, homesickness is
comparable to grieving in that both of them have a typical feature significant to depressed mood
which is the absence of control: the homesick missing his/her life in the environment he/she was
already familiar with and the grieving who cannot revive the life of a deceased loved one. The
data gathered from the participants interview reveal that homesickness is a form of grief in that
the experienced distress and anxiety is caused by a known source which is a separation from
significant persons in ones life.
The homesick persons experience should not be underestimated for its effects can also be
as severe to that of a grieving person. Data showed that the effects of grieving are also present in
homesickness. Because of the experienced distress and anxiety, a persons lifestyle may be
directly affected physically, emotionally and socially. Both also showed coping mechanisms in
order to reduce the distress that they are feeling. People may either respond to homesickness or

grieving with an active coping strategy or an avoidant coping strategy. Although active coping is
the mechanism that is desired, the participants answers suggest that avoidant coping strategies
have given them comfort since it temporarily distracted them from the distress they are going
through. Though effective in a way, it is important to note that its effects are only short-lived and
that addressing the issue through communication would help distressed individuals cope better.

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