Moving During Childhood Can Increase Depression Risk

It's no longer news that people who grow up in income-deprived neighborhoods are more at risk of developing depression later in life. The risk is about 10%. New research shows that kids who move a lot are even more at risk of depression.

The study tracking around 1 million people in Denmark found that people who moved once between the ages of 10 and 15 are 41% more likely to develop depression when they enter adulthood. And if a child relocates twice or more, the risk goes up to a staggering 61%. This is way more than the impact of a low-income neighborhood.

What's more, the researchers studied kids moving across all kinds of neighborhoods, including high and low income. This was to eliminate the question of whether the numbers resulted from the kind of location the kids moved from/into rather than the moving experience itself.

Of course, many factors influence a person's risk of developing depression. Genetic factors are among. But now we know that something as common as relocating a family can predispose people to depression.

Perhaps it's because of the instability it brings. You know, kids are easily influenced by their environment during their formative years. And moving from one neighborhood to another without bonding well with any might take its toll.

It could be that. It could be more complex.

But we cannot deny that these results are quite worrisome.

Furthermore, previous studies have even found that kids who moved frequently until their mid-teens are more likely to experience mental illness, suicidal thoughts/attempts, and substance abuse.

What can we do?

Well, it's difficult--and sometimes impossible. If you're a parent, you'll want to create a more settled childhood for your kids. That means having a stable and secure job in a safe environment. But it's difficult to foresee where the future may take you. We can only but try.

If you're an adult with depression, and it seems this research tells your life story, you're not alone. We understand you. And we'd like to help.

At Hope Mental Health, we provide safe, effective depression care in Boise and Meridian, Idaho, SLC & the Wasatch Front, Utah. We also serve OR, AZ, NV, WA and FL.

Contact us today.

Author

Satu H. Woodland, PMHCNS-BC, APRN Satu Woodland is owner and clinician of Hope Mental Health, an integrative mental health practice located at Bown Crossing in Boise, Idaho. She sees children, adolescents, and adults.  Ms. Woodland with her background in nursing, prefers a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that addresses the mind and body together. While Ms. Woodland provides medication management services in all her patients, she believes in long-lasting solutions that include a number of psychotherapies, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention therapy, attention to lifestyle, evidenced based alternative psychiatric care and spirituality. If you’d like to gain control over your mental health issues, call Hope Mental Health at 208-918-0958, or use the online scheduling tool to set up an initial consultation.