An examination of Terrebonne Parish's elderly people's lived experience during the COVID-19 pandemic

The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of Terrebonne Parish's elderly Black pandemic survivors and their mental health conditions while living through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also aims to investigate potential policy solutions that government officials should have used to improve mental health access during the pandemic. In this study, a convenient sample of ten participants who meet the following criteria was used: must be Black, over the age of 60, and live in Terrebonne Parish. Techniques used in this study to understand Terrebonne Parish's Black elderly people's lived experience during the COVID-19 pandemic were phenomenological interviews followed by surveys based on the themes extracted from their interviews. Results of phenomenological interviews and surveys indicate that Black elderly people in Terrebonne Parish experienced trauma from isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also indicate that participants' main concerns during the pandemic centered around staying healthy-both physically and mentally-in order to visit their family once the detrimental impacts of the pandemic began to subside. Another common theme that emanated from the data was that participants believed that Terrebonne Parish officials should have utilized community centers to help elderly Black people understand the impacts of COVID-19 and the resources that were available to them during the pandemic;provided more information regarding the mental health resources that were available to them during the pandemic;and that the government should have provide more targeted resources that would specifically help Black people successfully navigate the pandemic. In conclusion, based on the funding packages that Terrebonne Parish received from the Federal Government, Black elderly people were correct in their assertion that the government could have provided more resources to improve their mental health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Attitudes and the lived experiences of vaccine hesitant parents: A mixed-methods study

Vaccine hesitancy (VH) refers to refusing or delaying vaccinations for reasons other than medical contraindications. Despite the significant benefits vaccines have provided since their invention, VH rates are still high worldwide. This concurrent mixed method study explored attitudes, and the lived experiences of vaccine hesitant parents of children of ages 0 to 18 who sought health care services in a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Quantitively results of this study revealed seven attributes of vaccine-hesitant parents: (1) the belief that children should get fewer shots at the same time, (2) concerns about children developing severe side effects from shots, (3) concerns about the safety of vaccines, (4) concerns that shots may not prevent the illnesses they are intended to prevent, (5) children get more shots than necessary, (6) illnesses that shots prevent are not severe, and (7) children should get immunity by getting sick rather than getting shots. Qualitative findings revealed four themes about the lived experiences of vaccine hesitant parents: (1) vaccines are not safe, (2) vaccines are not necessary, (3) parents are not well informed about the vaccines, and (4) children get too many shots. Recommendations for future research include conducting this study in a similar setting using the same methodology in the absence of the COVID-19 pandemic and conducting the study in more diversified settings to test the reproducibility of this study's findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A phenomenological study exploring teachers' perceptions of virtual professional development through the lens of adult learning theory

This phenomenological study design explored the lived experiences of teachers' perceptions of virtual professional experiences through the lens of adult learning theory. The participants were comprised of elementary educators from a suburban county in New York state. The participants in this study were all forced to shift to virtual teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research questions addressed were how do educators describe their experiences with virtual professional development, what characteristics of adult learning do educators value most, and how does virtual professional development compare to traditional in person professional development as it relates to educators' professional growth and/or career? Through qualitative analysis of email questionnaires, interviews, virtual observation, and document analysis, coding was conducted to discover themes to better understand the educators' lived experiences. Finding from this study were as follows: Participants preferred in person professional development experiences, the positive aspects of virtual professional development were convenience and the relevance of topics, the negative aspects of virtual professional development were lack of engagement and technological issues, and participants benefitted from in person professional development experiences as related to their careers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

The lived experiences of selected choral directors during the COVID-19 pandemic

The shift to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic found secondary choral teachers moving traditional performance-based courses to the online venue. The pedagogical changes needed include implementing technology and disseminating information through learning management systems. Relationships between teachers and students, and teachers and colleagues, were challenged with the physical distance of quarantines in the Spring of 2020. This dissertation research project examined the difficulties six teachers faced concerning technology and relationships. I sat down for semi-structured interviews with six colleagues where I asked about their backgrounds, relationships with students and fellow colleagues, and the changes the pandemic brought to their perceptions of teaching. To conclude, I discussed the themes that arose and unexpected findings such as the importance of mental health for the educators and the change in content from curricular-driven to vital lifelines for communication during the height of the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

How can employees break free from helplessness in critical work incidents?

Critical incidents, defined as traumatic time-limited events, often happen unexpectedly, and have largely impacted employees in many ways. In this study, we apply the conservation of resources theory as our overarching framework to examine whether and when employees involved in a critical work incident would experience helplessness at work, which may consequently spill over into the life domain and negatively impact their well-being. Taking the COVID-19 as a typical example of critical incidents, we collected multiwave data from 765 Chinese doctors. The results showed that perceived COVID-19 event strength is positively related to doctors' helplessness at work, which further negatively impacts their presence of meaning in life. Besides, meaningful work exacerbates the effect of perceived COVID-19 event strength on doctors' helplessness, while social support and psychological detachment reduce the negative impact of helplessness on their presence of meaning in life. Our study calls attention to protection of the mental health and psychological well-being of employees faced with critical incidents at work and their psychological recovery, and sheds light on the effectiveness of social support and psychological detachment as resource replenishing mechanisms, while cautions against further emphasizing work meaningfulness to employees confronted with a highly novel, disruptive, and critical work event. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychologists' experiences who managed waitlists in mental-health services during the COVID-19 lockdown: A mixed-method study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the demand for mental-health services worldwide. Consequently, it also increased the length of the waitlists for mental-health services, putting a strain on adult mental-health services (AMHS) and the healthcare professionals dealing with these lists. There is little research about how psychologists managed waitlist practices, e.g., scheduling screening appointments, determining clients' availability in an offered appointment, providing evidence-based bibliotherapy, or using priority waiting scales. It remains unclear what their experiences were with these practices and how effective these practices were during the pandemic. Method: The current convergent, concurrent mixed-method study investigated waitlist-management practices, synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey (n = 20 participants) applied in two local AMHS in Ireland. Results: The most common practices used by psychologists were opt-in systems, maintaining regular contact with clients, informing them about the waiting time, and providing evidence-based bibliotherapy. Screening was the least-used practice. The qualitative analysis highlights the emotional burden psychologists experienced from the use of waitlist practices, particularly when they had to inform the client of the waiting time or put a client back onto a waitlist. Discussion: Psychologists reported a lack of resources and increases in administrative workload as barriers to implementing practices. Managerial, organizational, and policy-based recommendations are proposed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Embedding relationships: The indirect effects of work relationships on turnover intent

With the onset of the "Great Resignation" following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are quitting jobs at unprecedented levels. Although the traditional model of turnover (Mobley, 1977;Mobley, Griffeth, Hand, & Meglino, 1979) links job attitudes and turnover intentions as key determinants in understanding the turnover process, there is a growing recognition of the importance of studying contextual variables, namely social relations, in expanding our understanding of employee turnover and retention. Job embeddedness (Mitchell et al., 2001) and social capital theories (Granovetter, 1973;Burt, 1992;Lin, 1982) implicate employees' social networks as additional factors worth investigating in understanding employee turnover. The aim of the current study was to study an expanded model of turnover by examining whether different types of social relationships at work differentially related to work experiences and attitudes that, in turn, related to turnover intentions. The current research leveraged an ego-centric method to collect information on employees' social networks at work along with work experience and attitudinal constructs. The results of the study found that expressive relationship networks (i.e., friendship networks) had a positive, significant effect on employees' job embeddedness, with an indication of a marginal indirect effect with organizational commitment. Surprisingly, employees' instrumental networks were not significantly related to any work experience or attitudinal factors. There was no support for the hypothesized indirect effects linking social networks, work experiences and attitudes, and turnover intentions. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Leading community colleges through a pandemic: The lived experience of one administration during the Covid-19 pandemic

The purpose of this research study was to generate a grounded theory based on the lived experience of community college leaders at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland, Washington, when they were faced with the challenges of COVID-19. The study examined the lived experience of community college leaders addressing a significant, extended crisis. This study focused on the administration's response to critical incidents throughout a specified time period. Through the interviews of eight executive cabinet members, along with emails, documents, internal and external pieces of communication, this study told the story of the lived experiences of this team and how this information guided me to five explanations or findings of this study. Those explanations are: 1.LWTech President purposely prepared a team2.LWTech President intentionally built a leadership team from individuals with attributes that indicated they could work within a team 3.LWTech president developed trust with each individual on the cabinet4. The LWTech President and the cabinet developed trust with each other5.Operating as a team, the LWTech cabinet effectively navigated the pandemic and managed the crisisThese five main explanations of the processes used by the LWTech executive cabinet demonstrate how the team successfully navigated an extended crisis on their campus. This success was revealed through this research by different examples. One example of this was the completion of all classes and labs to ensure students could complete their programs and degrees without delay. The team also used the crisis to change institutional practices and policies for long-term improvement, including new technology for faculty, students, and staff campus-wide. The executive team was able to make these decisions and navigate this crisis successfully because of the foundation already established and trust built among the team. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The relationship between experienced workplace incivility and pre- quitting behaviors: A model of mediated moderation

Workplace incivility is a non-overt and subtle form of workplace mistreatment. Though these low-intensity behaviors are often ambiguous, they display a lack of regard for people and are intended to harm. Yet the workplace incivility literature lacks in many areas, including its inclusion into more novel models. Therefore, this dissertation addressed several gaps in the workplace incivility literature, including distinguishing and measuring the impact of different sources of incivility, the social power of the instigators, and the distal outcome of pre-quitting behaviors. The researcher tested a unique theoretical model that included supervisor-and customer-instigated incivility, and illegitimate task assignment, as predictors with emotional exhaustion serving as a moderating variable between predictors and pre-quitting behaviors, deviant outcomes, and COVID-19 safety protocol adherence. In addition, both psychological capital and coercive power of the supervisor were tested for moderating effects. CFA was conducted to ensure validity of the ten measurement scales, and SEM verified the goodness-of-fit effects of the hypothesized model, including an analysis of the model's purported paths. Data were collected (n = 302) in a two-wave design. Results indicated support for most hypotheses in the hypothesized model, and the findings carry significant implications for the workplace incivility literature and practitioners alike. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The lived experiences of special education administrators sensemaking during the COVID-19 pandemic

This qualitative narrative study design examined the lived experiences of the challenges special education administrators faced in implementing federal and state guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were comprised of special education administrators from a suburban county in New York state. Half of the participants were from a Title I school district. In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools across the country to close their doors, forcing schools to shift to online learning platforms. This left to sudden shifts in the delivery of instruction, leadership, and support, and created logistical challenges for administrators serving students with disabilities. Through qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews and reflective journaling, coding was conducted to discover themes to better understand special education administrators' experiences. The findings from this study supported Karl Weick's sensemaking framework that portrayed the need for an increase in communication, collaboration, and support for staff and student mental health needs. Understanding the lived experiences of special education administrators during this time will help decision making, should another unprecedented challenge occur. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A transformative journey: The lived experience of healthcare learners participating in pain management education

There is little emphasis on pain management education for healthcare providers. In September 2019, the Master of Clinical Science (MClSc) program in Advanced Healthcare Practice at Western University in London, Ontario introduced a new, "Interprofessional Pain Management" (IPM) field. The program follows a competency-based framework, and the learners are all practicing healthcare providers with a special interest in pain. Part of the purpose of this thesis is to describe the process of development and implementation. The objective is to provide educators and healthcare providers an in-depth look at how the pain education is experienced. This includes exploring the lived experience of physiotherapy students participating in a pain elective course, the lived experience of the first cohort of the IPM field, and again the first cohort of the IPM program as they experience the phenomenon of sudden change in clinical encounters including mentorship during COVID-19. The three studies all followed a hermeneutic phenomenological research design. Single semi-structured in-depth interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Each study was supported and guided by the work of van Manen (2016) for analysis and in identifying themes. Themes are described in each study. In sharing the narratives of the participants from all three studies, we hope it encourages educators and healthcare providers to reflect deeply on their current pain management training and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Gen Z students' experiences with college choice

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what influences Gen Z student college choice. Research on college choice has provided insight into whether or not a student will attend college;however, limited research exists on what impacts Gen Z students' college choice and how marketing and communication influence what college a student will choose. College recruitment has always been challenging, given the high competition between colleges and universities. With the decrease in enrollment over the last decade and the unexpected impact of COVID-19, that challenge continues to grow. Enrollment and marketing administrators have difficulty expanding and diversifying their marketing, communication, and digital engagement practices to influence this generation of college-going students. This research involved interviews with 27 first-semester first-year students at a regional university in the southeast. Participants described their experiences with the college search process, including contact from higher education institutions. Overall, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of Generation Z's college choice influences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Shattering the glass ceiling through purpose development: an intersectional examination of the role of adversity and mentoring among adolescent girls

Adolescent girls have reached unprecedented levels of success in today's society. Simultaneously, many adolescent girls face adversities and their mental health remains a concern (Schramal et al., 2010;Spencer et al., 2018;). Positive Youth Development scholars continues to explore how society can best support adolescent girls as they navigate key developmental milestones (Lerner et al., 2005;Damon, 2004). Importantly, research has solidified a number of benefits of Youth Purpose (i.e., a long-term, committed, directed aspiration, with a prosocial desire). Youth Purpose is considered a key developmental asset, and contributes to thriving. Indeed, having a sense of purpose can serve as a protective factor for individuals and help bolster their overall well-being (Liang et al., 2018;Liang et al, 2017;Damon et al., 2003). Youth purpose along with Post Traumatic Growth can positively impact individuals facing adversities (Kashdan & McKnight, 2009;Tedeschi & Lawrence, 2004). Similarly, mentoring relationships are associated with numerous positive outcomes including the development of purpose (Dubois & Rhodes, 2006;Lerner, 2004;Liang et al., 2017). While youth purpose is well documented (Damon et al., 2003;Hill et al., 2010), there is limited research on purpose development for adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds. Given the profound benefits of purpose, additional research is warranted on how purpose is cultivated in marginalized adolescent girls. This dissertation sought to expand the literature and better understand how adversity relates to purpose development, during the adolescent years and how mentoring relationships can contribute to this development. Additional research is needed to focus on one of the most vulnerable populations, adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds, and to discover ways to help protect their mental health and well- being as they continue to thrive in society. This study included 13 interviews with adolescent girls from marginalized backgrounds. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and five major themes emerged. Analyses suggested that while these participants experiences endured adverse experiences, they maintained a positive outlook on life, and their future. With the help of their mentors, and through the development of critical consciousness, participants were able to utilize adverse experiences to help inform their sense of purpose. Data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. This crucial time period allowed for the collection of exemplary data, which revealed how adolescent girls utilized the pandemic as a time for self-growth, and how they conceptualized their purpose with respect to the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Just a swipe away: Navigating the motivations behind downloading and using mobile dating applications during a global pandemic

The purpose of this study was to explore the underlying motivations behind downloading or reopening mobile dating applications (MDAs) during a global pandemic. Additional objectives of this study were to explore the lived experiences of heterosexual, cisgender women mobile dating application users, investigate how mobile dating has changed since March of 2020, and analyze research from dating before COVID-19 compared to dating during COVID-19. At the time of the study, there was little research that addressed the motivations of using MDAs during a pandemic, as well as the experiences of women who were navigating dating in a socially distant world. For these reasons, this study aimed to (1) analyze the motivations behind downloading MDAs during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) explore the lived experiences of women who used MDAs during the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) investigate how mobile dating has changed since March 2020, and (4) compare pre-COVID-19 and current COVID-19 dating experiences. This study employed a qualitative method of phenomenology and investigated the lived experiences of eight women, 20 to 29 years old, who used mobile dating applications during COVID-19. The results of the coding process produced nine areas of focus, 22 major themes, and three minor themes. Furthermore, a discussion of implications for clinicians and mental health professionals working with individuals who have used MDAs were explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 as a crucible: The transformation of global educators

This article examines how the crisis of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) became a crucible, or a means of transformation, for global educators. How teachers leverage their lived experience of teaching through the implications of COVID-19 to transform identity and practice is a new phenomenon and merits examination. Through a collection of interviews, the ways in which the life experiences of teaching through COVID-19 worked to create new identities in teachers and new practices within the classroom is examined. Data was gathered through informal interviews from eleven educators teaching through the crisis of COVID-19 across the world, including four continents and six countries. Drawing on simple thematic analysis, a narrative approach was utilized to examine the process of transformation in teachers across the globe. The findings and analysis of this research will help those working with teachers better understand how teachers leverage a crisis be it COVID-19, or another disruptive force, as a crucible for transformation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Creativity and Care in times of crisis: An analysis of the challenges of the COVID-19 virus experienced by social work students in practice placement

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the way social work responds to a wide range of social issues facing PWLE (People with Learned Experience). This paper evaluates a small-scale research project conducted by academics teaching on a United Kingdom (UK) social work degree programme. It explores the experience of students undertaking social work placements and how their practice was impacted upon by the lockdown. The focus concerns the challenges students faced when they were unable to continue their real-time practice placements and instead were asked to undertake virtual learning experiences through the use of Action Learning Sets (ALS) and Blogs. The responses indicate that the students found the use of Action Learning Sets improved their experience during a difficult period. Important lessons can be learned which can contribute to enhancing the educational experience on social work programmes in the UK. These included the recognition of the student voice in delivery, the impact of caring responsibilities, and the need, in future interventions, to directly involve People With Lived Experience in the development and delivery of such initiatives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Living, dreaming, and thinking about emotional experiences: The process of psychic elaboration

The work of psychic elaboration that fosters mental development implies contact with emotional experiences, as well as the ability to dream of them in the sense proposed by Bion: thinking about them and being able to experience them instead of just knowing about them. The resulting psychic maturation takes place in discontinuous leaps through changes in the way individuals feel and conceive of themselves and others. In the analytic relationship, this entire process is experienced and worked on by the pair, in an asymmetric way. Two clinical situations and the therapeutic transformations that occurred are reported, one of them with online therapy during the Covid-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Portuguese) O trabalho de elaboragao psiquica propiciador do desenvolvimento mental implica o contato com experiencias emocionais, assim como a capacidade de sonha-las no sentido que Bion da a esse termo, de pensa-las e, alem disso, de poder vivencia-las ao inves de apenas conhece-las. A maturagao psiquica resultante ocorre em saltos descontinuos atraves de mudangas na forma do individuo sentir e conceber a si mesmo e aos outros. Na relagao analftica, todo esse processo e vivenciado e trabalhado pelo par, de forma assimetrica. Sao relatadas duas situagoes clinicas e as transformagoes terapeuticas ocorridas, uma delas com atendimento on-line durante a pandemia da Covid-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) El trabajo de elaboration psiquica que propicia el desarrollo mental implica el contacto con las experiencias emocionales, asi como la capacidad de sonarlas en el sentido que le da Bion a este termino, de pensarlas y, ademas, de poder vivirlas en lugar de solo conocerlas. La maduracion psiquica resultante tiene lugar en saltos discontinuos a traves de cambios en la forma en que el individuo siente y se concibe a si mismo y a los otros. En la relation analitica, todo este proceso es vivenciado y trabajado por la pareja, de forma asimetrica. Se reportan dos situaciones clinicas y los cambios terapeuticos ocurridos, una de ellas con asistencia en linea durante la pandemia Covid-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The lived experience of African American women leaders concerning intersectionality and the methodologies they utilize to overcome barriers to leadership

African American women face barriers that prevent them from obtaining leadership positions. As a result, African American women are underrepresented in leadership positions. During the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID) Pandemic in 2020, the participation rate for African American women was 58.8% in the labor force, compared to all women, which was 56.2%. However, African American women only represented 1.4% of C-Suite, leadership positions. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 10 African American women leaders at the GS-14 and GS-15 grade level. The participants were supervisors who worked at federal government agencies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. The conceptual framework encompasses leadership, intersectionality, and methodologies to overcome barriers to leadership. The research questions are "What is the lived experience of African American women leaders concerning intersectionality? and "What are the methodologies they utilize to overcome barriers to leadership?" Those who will benefit from this study include African American women aspiring to leadership positions and organizational leaders who aim to better understand the barriers that African American women face. The findings reflected how African American women leaders described their lived experiences and the methodologies they utilized to overcome barriers to leadership. Based on the findings, African American women leaders should continue to strive for equity in the workplace and should have the same opportunities as all counterparts. However, to further inclusion, more support needs to be provided to African American women in the workplace through organizational support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Meaningful work and remote employee engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the remote working trend, causing workplace leaders to be challenged and remote employees to feel meaninglessness and lose interest in their work. The subjective nature of meaningful work and enforced remote work is a relatively recent socioeconomic phenomenon, creating a gap in the literature regarding how middle managers foster meaningful work for employees in a remote work environment. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to understand how middle managers fostered meaningful work for employees in a remote work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 middle managers who were responsible for managing employees during the shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The critical event approach was used to analyze the data and four conceptual categories emerged: (a) middle managers' personal stories of experience with remote work, (b) middle managers' experiences in leading meaningful remote work experiences, (c) managerial challenges of remote employee engagement during the pandemic, and (d) middle managers' voices on fostering meaningful work for remote employees. The findings in this study have potential implications for positive social change by creating greater understanding of meaningful interventions and meaningful leadership practices that can enhance work engagement. As remote work increases in the future and across industries, understanding factors that diminish virtual employees' work meaning and engagement is essential to improve the well-being of the future workforce. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Understanding the homesick experience through the narratives of first-year college residential students

Homesickness is a complex phenomenon that operates on a spectrum and impacts individuals' psychological, cognitive, and physical functioning. Sufferers experience a preoccupation of home and a strong desire to return home. In higher education, homesickness among first-year students has been linked to a higher risk of dropping out of school, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and a lack of satisfaction with the overall college experience. Through the lens of belongingness theory, this phenomenological study examined the essence of the homesick experience among first-time undergraduate college students living in the residence halls of a private Catholic college in the Northeast. The seven participants self-identified as experiencing homesickness during their first week away from home and agreed to participate in three semi-structured interviews across the span of the Fall 2020 semester when COVID-19 precautions were in place. Most participants spoke about homesickness as a paradoxical experience filled with mixed emotions. Common triggers of homesickness included reminders of home, a lack of activities and connections, and being alone. Participants indicated that establishing a sense of comfort in their new environment played a central role in reducing symptoms of homesickness. Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic prolonged students' homesickness and created an additional obstacle from achieving a sense of belonging at college. This study adds important dimensions to the complex nature of homesickness and its progression for first-year college students. Recommendations for parental guardians, higher education administration, and students are outlined for reducing or avoiding homesickness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)