RESUMEN
Student life in dormitories comprises of new conditions which may bring about complications such as homesickness, particularly for freshmen. The purpose of the present study was to determine the level of homesickness in freshmen residing in Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences [SKUMS] dormitories in 2008-2009. In this descriptive study, all students admitted to SKUMS at 2008 were included. For data gathering, an authenticated 36-item, five-construct questionnaire for homesickness assessment was used. The questionnaire was filled by participants at three different times: upon entering university, six months, and 12 months after admission. Data were analyzed by repeated measures [RM] ANOVA, t-independent, cross-kalvalis, and Spearman, using SPSS 16 software. A total of 121 students were included in the study, of whom 63.6% were female. The average homesickness score for females was 44.35 +/- 11.70, which was significantly higher than 37.36 +/- 13.62 in males [p< 0.05]. According to RM ANOVA, no significant difference in mean scores for homesickness constructs was seen when scores of first time, 6[th] month and 12[th] month were compared with each other [p > 0.05]. Due to the higher homesickness scores of female students and the crucial importance of mental health among them as mothers-to-be, it is important to introduce recreational and educational programs along with expanding access to social support as well as training them about coping skills so as to decrease their feelings of homesickness