People who suffer from a large number of Moving before 15 years They are 40% more likely to develop depression later in life, according to a new study by researchers from Aarhus University (Denmark), the University of Plymouth (UK), and the University of Manchester (UK).
The study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, looked at nearly all residential settings. 1.1 million people They were born in Denmark between 1981 and 2001 and remained in the country for the first fifteen years of their lives.
He then followed these same individuals into adulthood and found that at least 35,000 of them still lived in the area. Denmark They were subsequently diagnosed with depression.
As part of a detailed analysis, the study supported existing evidence by showing that people who lived in low-income neighborhoods during childhood are more likely (by about 10%) to develop depression in adulthood.
However, it has been shown for the first time that childhood mobility experiences (either between or within disadvantaged neighborhoods) are also associated with significantly higher rates of depression in adulthood.
Specifically, children who move once between the ages of 10 and 15 have one. 41% more likely to suffer from depression than non-mobile people 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 deprived neighborhood.
This led the researchers behind the study to suggest that a stable home environment (in terms of location) during childhood may be a form of protection against future mental health problems.
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, is the lead author of the study: “We know that there are a number of factors that lead to a person developing mental illness. However, this is the first evidence to suggest that moving to a new neighbourhood during childhood is one of them, and we think the numbers we are seeing could be the tip of the iceberg. During these formative years, children build their social networks through school, sports groups or other activities. Helping people overcome these challenges,” he says.
Studies around the world have found that children who move frequently from birth to mid-adolescence are more likely to experience negative outcomes, including suicide attempts, violent crime, mental illness and substance abuse. Although the study focused on a large proportion of the Danish population, the study’s authors say they expect to find similar results in many parts of the world.
“This study highlights the importance of global policies that enable and support stable childhoods, but take into account regional and cultural identities,” adds Professor Sabel. “However, based on our findings, we also believe that certain groups of young people may be at greater risk and that foster youth may face additional stressors and may, like other children, need additional help to prevent the development of mental illness later in life.”
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