Moving house can affect children's mental health
Moving house more than three times can have a detrimental effect on children’s’ mental health, reports the Telegraph.
A new study has shown that moving house, and therefore losing contact with friends and being taken away from familiar surroundings, may cause the child to feel they’re being ignored, and can result in suicidal feelings.
The study monitored how many children had committed suicide over a period of 17 years, and found over half of those who took their own life had moved house more than three times.
Ping Qin, the lead author, wrote: “The breakdown of connections with peers, discontinuation of group activities, distress and worries related to the new environment are potentially psychologically distressing events for young children. Frequent exposures to these events can be stressful and confusing and may affect their psychosocial wellbeing, thus increasing their intention toward ending their life if they are unable to cope.
“Children may feel ignored and have no one to communicate with. A suicide attempt may, to some extent, express the need for more attention from their parents.”
June 24th, 2009 at 10:33 am
That is really distressing news! Obviously its important to consider more than just your material goods when moving house.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:42 pm
By the time I was 14 years old my parents had moved house 7 times. I was always the ‘new’ girl at school & by the time I’d made some good friends I was moved again, over and over again. I’m now in my forties & still harbour deep resentment against my parents for putting me through such a disrupted childhood without any consideration for my feelings. I wasn’t asked once about my attitude to yet another house move.
I was close to suicide many times in my teens, taking pills & self-harming and I still suffer from waves of depression when I realise I never had the luxury of living in one place during my formative years.
I now believe my parents have personality disorders as they have continued moving into their seventies – 4 times in the same town! Totally unnecessary, a complete waste of time and loss of tens of thousands of pounds in removal costs & redecoration.
The only good to come out of my lack of secure & happy childhood is that I’m determined never to put my own children though the trauma of moving house constantly. At least they will benefit from my horrible experience.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Moving is sressfull experience, so anything that take the pressure off is a good thing.