Reentry Shock and the Role of Communication in Psychological Health: A Study of Abrupt Reentry During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT This study examines the associations between re-entry shock, re-entry communication, and mental health outcomes among 127 students from different U.S. universities who abruptly returned home from study abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. Re-entry shock was associated with higher levels of depression, loneliness, and perceived stress, and lower levels of life satisfaction upon re-entry. Mediation analyses suggest that re-entry communication explained the negative effects of re-entry shock on depression and perceived stress but had no effect on loneliness and life satisfaction. Our findings highlight the negative effects of re-entry shock on returning students’ psychological health and the possible hindering role of re-entry communication.