Reverse culture shock in students returning from overseas

Abstract

The reentry experiences of 66 overseas-experienced American college students were examined to determine if reverse culture shock influenced self-reported problem severity, willingness to see a counselor, and student support service usage. This survey study revealed significant findings that bear upon student services programming conducted by college student personnel workers. First, returnees experiencing a high level of reverse culture shock were more likely to report more personal adjustment and shyness problems/concerns than were returnees experiencing a low level of reverse culture shock. Second, willingness to see a counselor for personal problems/concerns was not necessarily related to one's level of reverse culture shock. Finally, a negative correlation was observed with regard to reverse culture shock and student support service usage; as reverse culture shock increased, service usage decreased. Programming implications are discussed.