Citation

Ireland CA, Archer J. Leg. Crim. Psychol. 2000; 5(1): 97-106.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, British Psychological Society, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1348/135532500168001

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of this study is to validate a modified version of the 33-item Homesickness Questionnaire (HQ; Archer, Ireland, Amos, Broad, & Currid, 1998) for use within a prison population. Methods. The HQ was reworded to fit the experiences of prisoners rather than students. 179 male young offenders completed the 30-item scale (the modified Homesickness Questionnaire, HQ-P), and a single-item homesickness measure (SIHM; Fisher & Hood, 1987). Results. The HQ-P was internally consistent, and 25 items showed significant differences between homesick and non-homesick groups formed on the basis of the SIHM. Factor analysis revealed a main factor consistent with one of two found by Archer et al. (1998), representing attachment to the home. Removal of other items left a total of 21 items in the final HQ-P. There were high positive correlations between the HQ-P total scores and the SIHM for current and initial levels of homesickness. Conclusions. The findings reveal a coherent construct of homesickness among these prisoners, and provide a simple way of assessing and screening inmates for homesickness.

Language: en