The return journey: Psychosocial adjustment of children returning from abroad

This study examines the psychosocial adjustment of children returning from abroad. It aims to explore how Saudi mothers perceive their children's emotional experiences, social and cultural reintegration, and the role of family support in the post-return phase. A qualitative design was employed, using semi-structured interviews with 28 Saudi mothers whose families had returned after periods abroad on educational scholarships. Data were collected via Zoom and analysed thematically. The findings revealed three main themes: children's post-return psychological state and emotional adjustment, social and cultural integration within the local community, and the role of family and supportive environments in facilitating adjustment. Mothers described their children's experiences as emotionally complex and reported anxiety, confusion, nostalgia, and difficulties in re-establishing a sense of belonging. They also reported varying challenges in rebuilding peer relationships, understanding local customs, and navigating family and community expectations. The study concludes that return involves an extended psychosocial process shaped by emotional, social, and familial factors, with family support playing a central role in children's adjustment. The study contributes a culturally situated understanding of reintegration by framing children's post-return adjustment, as perceived by mothers, as a family-mediated process within the Saudi context.