I don't know, it's like hiding from your parents at a friend's place versus running away and disappearing all together, you know what I mean? They're coming from the same place, sure, but...

[not everyone is willing to take the chance to go out into the great unknown on their own. And if they are, things must have been bleak]

Why not both? Even if they were 'fine' to start, there's no way being in the Dream Sphere so long without coming up didn't leave some sort of impact on them.