Study shows multiple home moves during childhood can increase the risks of depression in later life

People who move multiple times before age 15 are more than 40% more likely to be diagnosed with depression later in life, a new study has found.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatryanalyzed all the residences of approximately 1.1 million people who were born in Denmark between 1981 and 2001 and spent the first 15 years of their lives there.

Subsequent follow-up of these same people into adulthood found that at least 35,000 people living in Denmark had subsequently received a medical diagnosis of depression.

As part of a detailed analysis, the study confirmed existing evidence by showing that people who lived in low-income areas during childhood were around 10% more likely to develop depression as adults.

However, this study is the first to show that experiencing childhood moves between deprived areas, within deprived areas, or between non-deprived areas is also associated with significantly higher rates of depression in adulthood.

Specifically, children who moved once between the ages of 10 and 15 were 41% more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who didn’t move, and the risk rose to about 61% if they moved two or more times between the ages of 10 and 15 — a stronger effect than growing up in a poor neighborhood.

The researchers suggest that creating a spatially stable home environment during childhood may be one way of preventing future mental health problems.

The study was carried out by researchers from Aarhus University (Denmark), the University of Plymouth (UK) and the University of Manchester (UK).

Professor Clive Seibel, professor of big data and spatial sciences at the University of Plymouth and former director of the Centre for Big Data for Environment and Health at Aarhus University, is the lead author of the study.

“We know there are many factors that contribute to being diagnosed with a mental illness, but this is the first evidence to suggest that moving to a new area during childhood is one of those factors and we think the numbers we’re seeing may be just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

“Children in their formative years are building social networks through school, sports organisations and other activities. Any time they have to adapt to something new it can be disruptive, so we may need to find new ways to help people overcome these challenges.”

It is estimated that up to 13% of the world’s population lives with some form of mental illness, and the global economic burden is predicted to rise to $6 trillion by 2030.

The causes of these conditions are complex and multifaceted, including many biological, socioeconomic and psychological factors, but there is growing evidence that an individual’s natural, built and social environment are linked to mental health.

Existing research from around the world has found that children who move frequently between birth and their mid-teens are more likely to experience negative outcomes, including suicide attempts, violent crime, mental illness and substance abuse.

While the study focused on a large proportion of the Danish population, the researchers say they expect similar results to be seen in many parts of the world.

“This study highlights the importance of global policies that enable and support stable childhoods, while taking 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,” added Prof Sabel.

“Young people in care are often forced to move multiple times, which can put them under added pressure, and some military children move regularly depending on their parents’ deployment. This study suggests that they and other such children may need additional support to prevent them from developing mental illness later in life.”