Moving as a teenager can bring different emotions, including excitement, fear, or the hope of a fresh start, but it can also mean leaving behind familiar places and friends. During the teen years, friendships and growing independence are especially important, so relocation can be especially disruptive.
One teen might feel homesick for a few weeks and then slowly settle in, while another teen might develop persistent anxiety or depression. Research on teens who moved suggests that many may need support during and after a move.
Understanding what can make relocation difficult and what can help teens rebuild a sense of stability can make the transition easier for the entire family. This article explores:
When an adult thinks about moving, they often think about the logistical and practical side of things, such as:
However, teens may experience the same move through a completely different lens. A move can impact numerous parts of a teen’s life, including:
Because so much changes at once, the link between moving and teen mental health is often more complex than simply adjusting to living in a new home.
Research involving over 2,000 teens found that moving homes was associated with changes in emotional and behavioral functioning, especially when teens experienced the move as negative.[1]
Adolescence is a time when feeling that you belong is especially meaningful. Teens may spend years building friend groups and establishing a place within their school, and moving can quickly disrupt those connections.
A teenager might understand why the family needs to relocate while also feeling like they are being taken away from everything they care about. And while parents may assure the teen they can make new friends, there can still be questions about where the teen will fit in their new community.
A move can also leave a teen feeling less capable for a while. Relocating means a teen needs to get to know a new area and a new group of people at the same time.
At their old school, a teen may have felt like they knew where everything was and how to navigate social situations. But at a new school, ordinary tasks, like finding the math classroom or speaking to classmates, can be unfamiliar and tiring.
Sometimes relocation can happen alongside other life and family changes, such as divorce or illness. The study of over 2,000 teens found that a move was more likely to feel unpleasant when it came at the same time as other stressful events, such as parents divorcing.
Research suggests that moving during adolescence is linked to some mental health difficulties in teens.
A study involving more than 139,000 teens found that those who moved at least once during the previous five years had higher odds of experiencing a major depressive episode than those who had not moved, with the odds increasing as the number of moves increased.[2]
That long-term study also found that moving during teen years was linked to an increase in externalizing problems, such as aggressive or disruptive behavior. Teens who found the move unpleasant also showed less improvement in internalizing symptoms, such as anxiety and low mood, than other teens.[1]
In that study, the difference was still there years after the move. A large review of research has also shown that repeated moves throughout childhood and teen years may be associated with more mental health problems later in life.[3]
This does not mean that moving will definitely cause depression or behavioral problems for your teen. Families move for many reasons, and those reasons can impact mental health as well.
Moving is best understood as a potentially stressful change. How it affects a teen depends on:
Some amount of emotional distress is typically expected after moving. A teen missing their old home or becoming emotional seeing photos of their friends hanging out without them isn’t necessarily experiencing relocation depression.
Your teen may be grieving their old bedroom, their favorite places, teammates, neighbors, and a feeling of being known. Sometimes parents see this grief and try to highlight every positive aspect of the new location because they want to help.
This response makes sense, but it can also unintentionally communicate to the teen that they should feel differently. Instead of trying to find the positives, a teen may want someone to validate their grief and acknowledge what was lost.
A certain level of anxiety when moving is understandable. A teen might wonder where they will fit in or who they will sit with at lunch. Teen anxiety after moving becomes more of a concern when it stops them from taking part in daily life.
A teen might begin to:
Some avoidance of new places and people can be part of settling in, and it can ease anxiety for a while. But it can also make the adjustment harder, as the teen has fewer chances to get used to their new environment.
Parents should respond to avoidance by balancing both empathy and encouragement. The aim is to stop anxiety from cutting the teen off from daily life.
If your teen has a sibling, you may notice that one child is quickly making friends and adjusting to the new school while the other continues to find it hard for weeks or months.
Several factors can impact adolescent relocation stress, including:
Knowing the context and how your teen sees the move can help you respond to their experiences.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Helping a teenager adjust after moving does not mean guaranteeing that they will immediately like their new home or school. But parents can try to make the transition less disorienting for their teen.
Before the move, you can explain what is happening and why. You can also include your child in age-appropriate parts of planning. This may look like:
When teens have a say, they may feel less like life has completely changed without them.
When a teen is moving away from friends, parents can help them keep in touch through:
But it’s important to find a balance in connecting with old friends while also creating room to build new friendships. A parent might consider gently monitoring whether maintaining old friendships is preventing their child from getting involved where they now live.
A teen’s adjustment to a new school typically deserves as much attention as the move itself. The researchers who followed teens through a move suggest that teachers, as well as parents, should recognize that moving can be a serious challenge for teens. Before their first day at the new school, it may be helpful to find out:
When supporting teen adjustment to a new school, it may also help to find one adult there who knows your child is new. That way, if they feel overwhelmed, they have someone to go to.
During a move, a teen may feel like everything seems different and unfamiliar, and like they have no control or sense of belonging.
Parents can help this transition by maintaining predictable routines at home. This could include:
These routines can provide a sense of stability and calm while the teen adapts to the move.
Some teens may also enjoy finding ways to make their new environment feel more like theirs. This could look like:
Making the new place feel like home can help a teen start to feel like they belong there.
There is no set timeline for a teen to start feeling at home after a move. Some teens settle in quickly while others may need longer to adjust.
Adjustment does not mean never missing their old home or never talking about their old friends. Instead, adjustment might look like:
Not every teenager who hates moving needs therapy. But parents should pay attention when distress becomes persistent. Consider seeking professional mental health support if your teen:
If there is an immediate safety concern, contact 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If your teen talks about suicide or is harming themselves, you or your teen can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, at any time.
Mission Prep provides treatment for teens experiencing various mental health conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-901-4047 to learn about your treatment options.
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Moving as a teenager can impact friendships, identity, school, routine, and a teen’s sense of stability. Most teens will slowly adjust, but some teens experience depression, anxiety, withdrawal, or difficulty functioning.
At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we offer tailored treatment programs that incorporate evidence-based therapeutic approaches and innovative interventions to foster sustainable change for adolescents and their families. Whether your teen could benefit from residential treatment at one of our locations or something more flexible, like an outpatient mental health program delivered virtually, our team can help.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
Learn about our admissions process online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
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