Relocation and Personal Well-Being among Early Adolescents

Abstract

This study examined the association between geographical relocations and selected indicators of personal well-being among early adolescents in five communities in the United States. Relocation was measured both by recency of residential change and by the number of lifetime moves between towns that the adolescents had made. Well-being was self-esteem, alienation, depression, and life satisfaction. The results indicated that neither recent relocations nor a history of relocations were associated with well-being among males, but that life satisfaction was negatively affected by recent moves as well as high number of moves in the history of females. A history of frequent moves also resulted in lower levels of depression among females. The results are discussed in terms of gender differences and responses to moving and the reasons why relocations may have only a moderate affect on this age child.