Frequent changes of residence in childhood contribute to lower life satisfaction and poorer mental health, reports the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published by the American Psychological Association.
Moving to another city, or even to another neighborhood, can be stressful, regardless of age. The latest research shows, however, that the effects of stress associated with frequent changes of the place of residence are felt particularly hard by children, and the effects are visible in adulthood.
We know that children who move often do less well in school and have more behavioral problems. Until now, little attention has been paid to the long-term impact of removals on adult well-being, says study author Dr Shigehiro Oishi of the University of Virginia.
Over 7 people participated in the research. Americans aged 20 to 75, who filled in the questionnaires twice every 10 years regarding, inter alia, mental health, life satisfaction or the quality of interpersonal relationships. These data were compared with the predetermined personality type and number of childhood removals.
It turned out that the more often the respondents changed their place of residence as children, the less satisfied they were with their lives and had less close contact with other people as adults, with the effect being stronger in the case of introverts and neurotic people.
Removals make it difficult to build long-term close relationships. Less often it is a problem for open-minded people who make friends easily and quickly. In the case of more closed people, it is a much more difficult experience, Dr. Oishi notes.
As the researchers suspect, childhood stress may also have contributed to higher mortality. The subjects, who moved frequently in childhood, had an increased risk of death within ten years. Dr. Oishi emphasizes, however, that although the stress associated with moving might have had a negative impact on physical health, this relationship should be carefully examined before drawing any conclusions (PAP).