Dislocated College Students and the Pandemic: Back Home Under Extraordinary Circumstances

This research examines college students' experiences of dislocation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to governmental stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, families with "dislocated" (compelled to return home) college students would likely encounter unique stressors while also being limited in their normal ways of coping.

Using an online survey, the current study sought to discover how diverse individual characteristics and family living situations of 323 dislocated students associated with varying homelife experiences (e.g., intrusive parenting, students making an extra effort to spend time with family), and how such experiences associated with relationship changes during the quarantine.

Analyses detected some differences in the students' homelife experiences based on background and living situations, especially related to being a first-year student, having been excited about returning home, and feeling accepted by parents about being home. Negative family relationship quality during the quarantine was most predicted by negative attitudes from students and parents about students being home, the student feeling less adultlike (based on treatment and own identity conception), and having low autonomy.

Returning home for quarantine was challenging for most students, and circumstances and attitudes appeared to contribute to how such challenges associated with family relationship changes.

Implications for practitioners and universities are discussed in regard to preparing college students and their families for similar conditions.