Moving in Childhood Contributes to Depression More Than Poverty

[Anonymous]

I assume it depends on the reason for moving. The military brats I know seem just fine. But I bet if a parent had to keep moving due to financial issues, that would be really stressful.

[Anonymous]

I moved a lot as a kid for my dad's job. I had trouble making friends and always felt like an outsider. I think it affected my long term mental health, and I still always feel like an outsider even though I've lived in the same house for 16 years. To those who were military kids and saying this isn't true -- I think that's different. We know military families; almost exclusively they have 2 things that other types of transplant families don't necessarily -- (1) a built in community of other military spouses and kids with similar stories and values and who are looking to build community, and (2) often (although I realize not always) a SAHP who provides stability in the home through the moves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have been studies that show that extroverts do just fine, while shy kids and introverts struggle with frequent moves:

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2010/06/moving-well-being

I moved a lot as a child. I was an extrovert but turned introverted. Who knows if I would have changed anyways but moving certainly did not help.

I am very much against moving my kids now anywhere. I have family who love to move to different countries on assignments and I think they are crazy, totally putting themselves over their children's happiness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: think it's a shit study. Drawing shit conclusions that's going to be used to stress parents out , shame them. and pit them against each other.

Who is getting pitted against who? Moving is incredibly stressful for children and has long term impacts. Most people could guess this without a study. If you’re a parent moving good kids you should feel guilty and ashamed.

Example of what I was talking about

It's not stressful for all kids.
My siblings and I loved it. Lived all over the world and have close friends from all over. Something that wouldn't have happened if it weren't for moving about as a child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A study of more than a million Danes found that frequent moves in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/health/moving-childhood-depression.html

What do you think? Also, do you think changing schools several times without moving has the same affect?

I think Danish poverty isn’t American poverty (all Danes get health care!), so this doesn’t translate here.

Danish cuture is also insular and outside of Copenhagen families are generations deep in their towns. I don't think this translates well into US culture.

Have you spent time in anyplace rural in America? Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Maine. How do you know so much about Denmark, but nothing about America?

I’ve spend time in both, and the cultures are just different. Even Americans in rural areas are not as insular and reserved as Danes generally, even though you could find exceptions here and there. Why is it so hard to believe that people in different countries have different cultures? Does America really need to be “the most” of everything for you? Even the most clannish and insular?

I spent seven years living in various countries in the Middle East, so please spare me the sociology lesson. You aren’t the only person in DC who has taken a continental flight. My point, having moved from an urban area in the southeast, to a rural island in the northeast at the age of nine is that there are many insular communities generations deep in America, particularly rural America. Where I moved not having a fisherman dad and waitress mom and family in the community was socially a nonstarter. We eventually moved to a more urban area 45 minutes away, but my experience wasn’t vastly different. The way kids talked about how they moved into the community was so strange to me. Kids would say things like “I moved in 1st grade but I was born in [x part of the state]”. There was this ingrained bias against people from outside the community and then state at a very young age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A study of more than a million Danes found that frequent moves in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/health/moving-childhood-depression.html

What do you think? Also, do you think changing schools several times without moving has the same affect?

I think Danish poverty isn’t American poverty (all Danes get health care!), so this doesn’t translate here.

Danish cuture is also insular and outside of Copenhagen families are generations deep in their towns. I don't think this translates well into US culture.

Have you spent time in anyplace rural in America? Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Maine. How do you know so much about Denmark, but nothing about America?

I’ve spend time in both, and the cultures are just different. Even Americans in rural areas are not as insular and reserved as Danes generally, even though you could find exceptions here and there. Why is it so hard to believe that people in different countries have different cultures? Does America really need to be “the most” of everything for you? Even the most clannish and insular?

I spent seven years living in various countries in the Middle East, so please spare me the sociology lesson. You aren’t the only person in DC who has taken a continental flight. My point, having moved from an urban area in the southeast, to a rural island in the northeast at the age of nine is that there are many insular communities generations deep in America, particularly rural America. Where I moved not having a fisherman dad and waitress mom and family in the community was socially a nonstarter. We eventually moved to a more urban area 45 minutes away, but my experience wasn’t vastly different. The way kids talked about how they moved into the community was so strange to me. Kids would say things like “I moved in 1st grade but I was born in [x part of the state]”. There was this ingrained bias against people from outside the community and then state at a very young age.

Living in the Middle East and rural America does not make you qualified to compare Danish and American culture. Your litany of your entire life story with many identifying details shows me that you’re more interested in winning the Trauma Olympics than the empirical merits of the study. Clearly moving frequently has affected YOUR mental health; do you want a sticker?

[Anonymous]

Your sweeping generalizations about America don’t align with my experience of America. No one cares that you spent a semester at the University of Copenhagen when you were a junior at GW three years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your sweeping generalizations about America don’t align with my experience of America. No one cares that you spent a semester at the University of Copenhagen when you were a junior at GW three years ago.

God forbid objective reality doesn’t align with *your experience*!! The horror!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your sweeping generalizations about America don’t align with my experience of America. No one cares that you spent a semester at the University of Copenhagen when you were a junior at GW three years ago.

God forbid objective reality doesn’t align with *your experience*!! The horror!

DP.

What are you basing your analysis of Danish and American societies on? Plebe share your research with this group instead of leaning into bizarre and unnecessary ad hominem attacks.

Why is this so personal for you? Are you worried your children will be messed up because you’ve moved them a lot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A study of more than a million Danes found that frequent moves in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/health/moving-childhood-depression.html

What do you think? Also, do you think changing schools several times without moving has the same affect?

I think Danish poverty isn’t American poverty (all Danes get health care!), so this doesn’t translate here.

Danish cuture is also insular and outside of Copenhagen families are generations deep in their towns. I don't think this translates well into US culture.

Have you spent time in anyplace rural in America? Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Maine. How do you know so much about Denmark, but nothing about America?

I’ve spend time in both, and the cultures are just different. Even Americans in rural areas are not as insular and reserved as Danes generally, even though you could find exceptions here and there. Why is it so hard to believe that people in different countries have different cultures? Does America really need to be “the most” of everything for you? Even the most clannish and insular?

I spent seven years living in various countries in the Middle East, so please spare me the sociology lesson. You aren’t the only person in DC who has taken a continental flight. My point, having moved from an urban area in the southeast, to a rural island in the northeast at the age of nine is that there are many insular communities generations deep in America, particularly rural America. Where I moved not having a fisherman dad and waitress mom and family in the community was socially a nonstarter. We eventually moved to a more urban area 45 minutes away, but my experience wasn’t vastly different. The way kids talked about how they moved into the community was so strange to me. Kids would say things like “I moved in 1st grade but I was born in [x part of the state]”. There was this ingrained bias against people from outside the community and then state at a very young age.

Living in the Middle East and rural America does not make you qualified to compare Danish and American culture. Your litany of your entire life story with many identifying details shows me that you’re more interested in winning the Trauma Olympics than the empirical merits of the study. Clearly moving frequently has affected YOUR mental health; do you want a sticker?

What are your qualifications to compare Danish and American society? Bio and research or why would we believe you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A study of more than a million Danes found that frequent moves in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/health/moving-childhood-depression.html

What do you think? Also, do you think changing schools several times without moving has the same affect?

I think Danish poverty isn’t American poverty (all Danes get health care!), so this doesn’t translate here.

Danish cuture is also insular and outside of Copenhagen families are generations deep in their towns. I don't think this translates well into US culture.

Have you spent time in anyplace rural in America? Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Maine. How do you know so much about Denmark, but nothing about America?

I’ve spend time in both, and the cultures are just different. Even Americans in rural areas are not as insular and reserved as Danes generally, even though you could find exceptions here and there. Why is it so hard to believe that people in different countries have different cultures? Does America really need to be “the most” of everything for you? Even the most clannish and insular?

I spent seven years living in various countries in the Middle East, so please spare me the sociology lesson. You aren’t the only person in DC who has taken a continental flight. My point, having moved from an urban area in the southeast, to a rural island in the northeast at the age of nine is that there are many insular communities generations deep in America, particularly rural America. Where I moved not having a fisherman dad and waitress mom and family in the community was socially a nonstarter. We eventually moved to a more urban area 45 minutes away, but my experience wasn’t vastly different. The way kids talked about how they moved into the community was so strange to me. Kids would say things like “I moved in 1st grade but I was born in [x part of the state]”. There was this ingrained bias against people from outside the community and then state at a very young age.

Living in the Middle East and rural America does not make you qualified to compare Danish and American culture. Your litany of your entire life story with many identifying details shows me that you’re more interested in winning the Trauma Olympics than the empirical merits of the study. Clearly moving frequently has affected YOUR mental health; do you want a sticker?

What are your qualifications to compare Danish and American society? Bio and research or why would we believe you.

+1. Can’t wait to read OP’s study on how Appalachia is not at all insular like rural parts of Denmark.

[Anonymous]

Another shame spiral post. What is wrong with people? Everyone is doing the best they can

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A study of more than a million Danes found that frequent moves in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/health/moving-childhood-depression.html

What do you think? Also, do you think changing schools several times without moving has the same affect?

I think Danish poverty isn’t American poverty (all Danes get health care!), so this doesn’t translate here.

Danish cuture is also insular and outside of Copenhagen families are generations deep in their towns. I don't think this translates well into US culture.

Have you spent time in anyplace rural in America? Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Maine. How do you know so much about Denmark, but nothing about America?

I’ve spend time in both, and the cultures are just different. Even Americans in rural areas are not as insular and reserved as Danes generally, even though you could find exceptions here and there. Why is it so hard to believe that people in different countries have different cultures? Does America really need to be “the most” of everything for you? Even the most clannish and insular?

I spent seven years living in various countries in the Middle East, so please spare me the sociology lesson. You aren’t the only person in DC who has taken a continental flight. My point, having moved from an urban area in the southeast, to a rural island in the northeast at the age of nine is that there are many insular communities generations deep in America, particularly rural America. Where I moved not having a fisherman dad and waitress mom and family in the community was socially a nonstarter. We eventually moved to a more urban area 45 minutes away, but my experience wasn’t vastly different. The way kids talked about how they moved into the community was so strange to me. Kids would say things like “I moved in 1st grade but I was born in [x part of the state]”. There was this ingrained bias against people from outside the community and then state at a very young age.

Living in the Middle East and rural America does not make you qualified to compare Danish and American culture. Your litany of your entire life story with many identifying details shows me that you’re more interested in winning the Trauma Olympics than the empirical merits of the study. Clearly moving frequently has affected YOUR mental health; do you want a sticker?

What are your qualifications to compare Danish and American society? Bio and research or why would we believe you.

Nope. Don’t have to prove anything to you. And no dog in this fight. My kids are neither poor nor have they moved around at all. I don’t need to cry about my life story to strangers on the internet like some of you. Maybe a therapist would benefit you more than DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"A study of more than a million Danes found that frequent moves in childhood had a bigger effect than poverty on adult mental health risk."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/17/health/moving-childhood-depression.html

What do you think? Also, do you think changing schools several times without moving has the same affect?

I think Danish poverty isn’t American poverty (all Danes get health care!), so this doesn’t translate here.

Danish cuture is also insular and outside of Copenhagen families are generations deep in their towns. I don't think this translates well into US culture.

Have you spent time in anyplace rural in America? Maine, Wyoming, Michigan, Maine. How do you know so much about Denmark, but nothing about America?

I’ve spend time in both, and the cultures are just different. Even Americans in rural areas are not as insular and reserved as Danes generally, even though you could find exceptions here and there. Why is it so hard to believe that people in different countries have different cultures? Does America really need to be “the most” of everything for you? Even the most clannish and insular?

I spent seven years living in various countries in the Middle East, so please spare me the sociology lesson. You aren’t the only person in DC who has taken a continental flight. My point, having moved from an urban area in the southeast, to a rural island in the northeast at the age of nine is that there are many insular communities generations deep in America, particularly rural America. Where I moved not having a fisherman dad and waitress mom and family in the community was socially a nonstarter. We eventually moved to a more urban area 45 minutes away, but my experience wasn’t vastly different. The way kids talked about how they moved into the community was so strange to me. Kids would say things like “I moved in 1st grade but I was born in [x part of the state]”. There was this ingrained bias against people from outside the community and then state at a very young age.

Living in the Middle East and rural America does not make you qualified to compare Danish and American culture. Your litany of your entire life story with many identifying details shows me that you’re more interested in winning the Trauma Olympics than the empirical merits of the study. Clearly moving frequently has affected YOUR mental health; do you want a sticker?

What are your qualifications to compare Danish and American society? Bio and research or why would we believe you.

Nope. Don’t have to prove anything to you. And no dog in this fight. My kids are neither poor nor have they moved around at all. I don’t need to cry about my life story to strangers on the internet like some of you. Maybe a therapist would benefit you more than DCUM.

You can’t prove anything to me because you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Your attacks on me speak volumes about your character and temperament. You’re a very angry person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been studied and published before, it’s valid and reliable. I became aware of it about 20 yrs ago, and purposely never moved. It was a factor in my divorce, too, we both agreed kids needed to remain in stable home.

+1. I have heard this before. Of course we all know anecdotes of well adjusted military kids but these findings are not new and consistent.