Moving house is an event that can be life-altering for anyone, but for children, this process can be particularly stressful. Constant moving not only involves adapting to a new physical environment, but also dealing with separation from friends, changing schools, and the disruption of established routines. Child development experts often point out how these recurring experiences can affect the emotional and academic well-being of children, generating a lasting impact on their ability to form strong bonds and feel safe in their environment. Now, a study from the University of Plymouth has gone further and concluded that moving house can be a very difficult task for children to deal with.People who experience a significant number of moves before the age of 15 are more than 40% more likely to be diagnosed with depression in the future.
The researchers, whose findings have been published in the journal JAMA Psychiatryanalyzed all residential locations of nearly 1.1 million people born in Denmark between 1981 and 2001 and who remained in the country for the first 15 years of their lives. They then followed these same individuals into adulthood and found that at least 35,000 of those still living in Denmark had subsequently received a medical diagnosis of depression.
As part of a detailed analysis, the study supported existing evidence by showing that people who live in low-income neighborhoods during childhood are more likely (by a factor of about 10%) to develop depression in adulthood. However, for the first time it was shown that experiences of moving during childhood, whether between or within disadvantaged or non-disadvantaged neighborhoods, are also associated with significantly higher rates of depression in adulthood.
In children who move two or more times between the ages of 10 and 15, the future risk of depression increases to about 61%
Specifically, children who move once between the ages of 10 and 15 are 41% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who do not move from home. And if a child moves two or more times between the ages of 10 and 15, the risk increases to about 61%. This is a stronger effect than growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood.
These results have led the researchers behind the study, who also include scientists from Aarhus University (Denmark) and the University of Manchester (United Kingdom), to suggest that a stable home environment (in terms of location) during childhood may be a way of protecting against future mental illness.
Children who move more often have worse mental health
Professor Clive Sabel, Professor of Big Data and Spatial Sciences at the University of Plymouth and former Director of the Big Data Centre for Environment and Health at Aarhus University, and lead author of the study, commented: “We know that there are a number of factors that lead to a person being diagnosed with a mental illness. However, this is the first evidence to suggest that moving to a new neighbourhood during childhood is among them, and we think the figures we are seeing could be just the tip of the iceberg.”
“During those formative years, children build their social networks through school, sports groups or other activities. Any time they have to adjust to something new, it can be disruptive, so we potentially need to find new ways to help people overcome those challenges.”
Estimates have suggested that up to 13% of the world’s population lives with some form of mental health condition, and the global economic burden of this is projected to rise to $6 trillion by 2030. The causes of such conditions are complex and multifaceted, including a range of biological, socio-economic and psychological factors, but with growing evidence that individuals’ natural, built and social environments are linked to mental health.
Existing studies around the world have found that children who move more frequently from birth through adolescence are more likely to experience adverse outcomes, including suicide attempts, violent criminality, mental illness, and substance abuse.
While this work has focused on a significant proportion of the Danish population, its authors believe that similar results could be expected to be found in many other parts of the world. Professor Sabel added: “This study emphasises the importance of global policies that enable and support settled childhoods, but which take into account regional and cultural identities. However, based on our findings, we also believe that certain groups of young people may be at greater risk.”
“Young people in care often face multiple moves and are potentially under additional pressures. Then there are military children, who move regularly depending on where their parents are posted. This study would suggest that they, and other similar children, may need additional support to prevent the development of mental illness in the future.”
