Coping With Relocation: Mental Health Strategies for Military Teens
For many families, moving is a milestone. But for military families, it’s a way of life. Military-connected students move an average of 6 to 9 times between kindergarten and high school graduation.¹
Sadly, evidence suggests that frequent moves like this can harm military teens’ mental health.² For around 40% of military teens, their low mental well-being may be partly due to the lack of long-term connections, as well as the frequent separations, they experience. And while not all change is bad, and some change can build adaptability, the reality is that coping with relocation as a military teen comes with unique emotional challenges.
Every move means a fresh start with a new school, making new friends, new expectations, and of course, the challenge of keeping in touch with long-distance friends left behind. That transition isn’t always smooth. The impact can go deeper than having stress over boxes and logistics. It can shake a teen’s confidence, disrupt their identity, and strain their mental health.
This guide explores the following aspects of military teens and frequent moves:
- The emotional impact of frequent moves on teens
- How moving impacts teen identity and mental health
- Emotional regulation and stress management for teens
- Building resilience in military life for teens
- Mental health tools and therapy options for military teens
Why Relocation Is Hard on Military Teens
Coping with relocation as a military teen can be challenging. Military teens change schools 2–3 times more often than their civilian peers.³ Frequent moves may start to feel like routine for adults in military families, but for teens, each transition can feel like a full emotional reset.
While younger children often rely on parents to interpret and manage change, adolescents are caught between growing independence and the pressure to stay emotionally composed. That makes moving stress in military kids especially intense during the teen years.
Relocation disrupts friendships, routines, academic continuity, and a teen’s sense of place. Each school transition is linked to a potential 3–6 month academic setback due to curriculum misalignment and credit transfer issues.⁴ And many teens lose touch with their support systems just as social belonging becomes central to their identity. Repeated goodbyes can create emotional fatigue or lead teens to stop investing in relationships altogether. And this can take its toll on a teen’s mental health, increasing their risk of anxiety, depression, burnout, and suicidal behavior.⁵
Yet, while it’s easy to see when grades are dropping, the emotional impact of frequent moves isn’t always visible right away. Some teens withdraw quietly, while others act out or show signs of burnout. And even when they seem to be adjusting, the stress can linger under the surface – affecting focus, motivation, and self-worth. Studies also show that children who move frequently tend to have problems at school.⁶
Understanding why transitions hit teens so hard is the first step toward offering meaningful support. With the right tools and awareness, families can buffer that stress and create space for teens to process and adapt in healthier ways.
How Moving Affects Teen Identity and Mental Health
Repeated school changes are associated with higher rates of disengagement, absenteeism, and emotional withdrawal in teens.⁷ These behavioral changes, as well as any other sudden changes in how a teen acts, can signal that something deeper is going on, such as a mental health difficulty.
Teens are in the middle of building a sense of self that involves figuring out who they are, what matters to them, and where they belong. The teen brain is also in the process of development which means that they react, think, and problem-solve differently than adults do.⁸ Relocation can interrupt this process in ways that are easy to overlook. Here’s how:
- Shifting social circles challenges identity: One of the biggest ways moving affects teen identity is through repeated social disruption. Teens often rely on peer relationships to explore their identity and feel a sense of belonging. Starting over again and again can leave them unsure of who they are outside the roles they have to play at home and in school.
- Relocations can lead to mental health issues: Research shows that moving home frequently in childhood is associated with an increased risk of behavioral and emotional problems.⁹
- Constant adaptation can create emotional fatigue: Some teens become expert adapters, changing how they act to fit in quickly. But this can come at a cost, leading to emotional burnout or a loss of authentic self-expression.
- Coping with relocation as a military teen can increase anxiety levels: Teen anxiety due to military relocation might be subtle. It could look like chronic worry, academic changes, mood swings, or even perfectionism. Teens may appear calm on the surface but feel overwhelmed internally.
- Without support, stress can turn inward: When teens don’t have tools or space to talk things through, stress often goes inward. Over time, that can turn into low self-esteem, sadness, or emotional numbness.
Teaching Teen Resilience Strategies in Military Life
Coping with relocation as a military teen is hard, but it also gives teens a chance to build resilience in ways other life paths might not. Still, building resilience in military teens isn’t about expecting them to “just bounce back.” It’s about helping them feel supported enough to keep going, even when things are uncertain.
Teen resilience strategies often come down to two things: Connection and control. One of the most important parts of connecting with your teen is validating what they’re feeling. Change is exhausting. Missing old friends, making new friends, hating a new school, or needing more time to adjust can start to feel overwhelming. When families and schools meet those feelings with empathy instead of pressure, teens feel more supported.
Clubs, sports, volunteer programs, and youth groups can also help build a sense of belonging and connection in a new place. When social options are limited, having just one steady adult relationship at school, in therapy, or at home can buffer the stress of transition.
So, we’ve covered connection. But what about control as a resilience strategy?
The sudden changes that can come during military life mean many things feel outside of a teen’s control. Offering small ways for teens to feel more independent and in control can make a big difference to how in control they feel of their lives. Even small choices like picking how to decorate their room, choosing an extracurricular, or deciding when to call or reconnect with long-distance friends from their last duty station, can give teens a sense of agency in a situation they didn’t choose.
Family Support During a Transition
Teens take their emotional cues from home when coping with relocation, even when they don’t say much. During a move, they’re watching how stress is handled, how routines shift, and whether they’re included in what comes next. That’s why strong military family transition support can shape how a teen copes, not just in the short term, but in how they approach future change.
Research shows that military families with teens experience heightened levels of stress associated with parental deployment.¹⁰ Communication helps ease this uncertainty. Teens don’t need every detail, but they do need honesty. Letting them know what to expect, or admitting that the move is hard for you too, can take pressure off their own reaction.
Keeping a few small routines steady also matters. Familiar things like a morning check-in, a shared meal, and the same bedtime wind-down can make a new place feel safer. These rituals help anchor the family as a unit.
And when emotions start bubbling over with arguments, withdrawal, or anxiety that won’t ease, bringing in extra support can help everyone. Family therapy, peer counseling, or school-based services can reduce the weight that parents feel they have to carry alone.
Mental Health Tools and Therapy Options for Military Youth
For teens showing signs of stress, anxiety, or disconnection, therapy is often the first step. At Mission Prep, we connect families with options that match the needs of military life. That might include:
In-Person Individual Therapy
In-person individual therapy helps teens work through any and all of their emotions, both related and unrelated to military life. Different therapists follow different therapy approaches, which gives you plenty of opportunities to find a form of therapy that works for you. Some of the most common approaches include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) gives teens a way to look at their thoughts and push back on the ones that make things worse. Like thinking no one will like them, or assuming they’ll never fit in.- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) teaches what to do with emotions that feel too big, so they don’t end up shutting down or lashing out.
- Trauma-informed therapy supports teens who have faced direct or indirect trauma, especially those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
For teens who struggle to open up, creative therapy methods like art, music, or movement can also be effective.
Alternative Therapy Options
If individual therapy doesn’t sound like your style, there are other therapeutic options to support you. These include (but aren’t limited to):
Family therapy. This can support you and your family members when the entire household is feeling the weight of transition.- Group therapy or peer support for teens who benefit from sharing with others who understand.¹¹
- Telehealth counseling is especially helpful when in-person options are limited during or after a move.
These approaches are rooted in research-backed mental health tools for military families. They don’t just focus on symptoms but offer ways to rebuild confidence, process emotions, and stay connected to something steady, even when everything else has changed.
Peer Support Groups for Teens
For some teens, opening up to an adult sounds like the last thing they want to do – some teens would rather speak to other people their age who “get it.” In these instances, peer support groups can make a big difference.
Sharing stories with people who’ve moved, lost friends, had to make new friends, and started over – again and again – can help you feel less alone.
When to Seek Help and What That Can Look Like
Not trying at school- Losing interest in everything
- Seeming numb more than not
- Ongoing tension or irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Appetite or weight changes
Teen stress in a military family during a school change also often shows up quietly in things like a drop in grades, a short fuse, or spending too much time alone. Support might start with a school counselor or family doctor. It could be a therapist who understands military life, or even in a group setting where teens hear from others who’ve moved just as often and felt just as lost.
What matters most is starting the conversation early before stress turns into shutdown. With steady support, even the hardest move becomes easier.
Reach Out to Mission Prep for Teen Mental Health Relocation Support
Military life doesn’t stop for teens who feel overwhelmed. Moves happen, school changes, and stress builds. Fortunately, we know how to support teens who are struggling.
At Mission Prep, we understand how hard relocation can be, especially when it affects school, identity, and connection all at once. We offer flexible, individualized teen mental health relocation support as adjustment help for military youth.
So, whether you’re looking for telehealth support while you move, peer support groups, or family support for frayed familial relationships, we can help.
To learn more about teen mental health relocation support, call us today.
References
- Thomas, J. S., Trimillos, A., & Allsbrook-Huisman, S. (2022). Military adolescent pandemic study 2021: MAPS21. The Journal of School Health, 92(11), 1051–1061. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9537803/#:~:text=Military%E2%80%90connected%20students%20move%20between,during%20and%20post%E2%80%90pandemic%20transitions
- Kniggendorf, A. (2021, October 7). A new survey found isolation and frequent moves are harming military teens’ mental health. AM Homefront. https://americanhomefront.wunc.org/news/2021-10-07/a-new-survey-found-isolation-and-frequent-moves-are-harming-military-teens-mental-health
- Thomas, J. S., Trimillos, A., & Allsbrook-Huisman, S. (2022). Military adolescent pandemic study 2021: MAPS21. The Journal of School Health, 92(11), 1051–1061. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9537803/#:~:text=Military%20families%20will%20move%20on,1%20%2C%205
- Thomas, J. S., Trimillos, A., & Allsbrook-Huisman, S. (2022). Military adolescent pandemic study 2021: MAPS21. The Journal of School Health, 92(11), 1051–1061. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9537803/#:~:text=Military%20families%20will%20move%20on,1%20%2C%205
- Clements-Nolle, K., Lensch, T., Yang, Y., Martin, H., Peek, J., & Yang, W. (2021). Attempted suicide among adolescents in military families: The mediating role of adverse childhood experiences. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(23–24), 11743–11754. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31976794/
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (n.d.). Moving: Helping children cope. AACAP. Retrieved June 13, 2025, from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Family-Moves-014.aspx
- Williams, C. (n.d.). Explanatory case study: Transitions of highly mobile students from military families to public non-military elementary schools. CSP.edu. Retrieved June 13, 2025, from https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1194&context=cup_commons_grad_edd
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (n.d.-b). Teen brain: Behavior, problem solving, and decision making. AACAP. Retrieved June 13, 2025, from https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/The-Teen-Brain-Behavior-Problem-Solving-and-Decision-Making-095.aspx
- Jelleyman, T., & Spencer, N. (2008). Residential mobility in childhood and health outcomes: a systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 62(7), 584–592. https://jech.bmj.com/content/62/7/584
- Kinley, J., Feizi, S., & Elgar, F. J. (2023). Adolescent mental health in military families: Evidence from the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 114(4), 651–658. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10351247/
- Becker, S. J., Swenson, R., Esposito-Smythers, C., Cataldo, A., & Spirito, A. (2014). Barriers to seeking mental health services among adolescents in military families. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 45(6), 504–513. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4283940/
