Early-life residential mobility as a social determinant of mood disorder risk: A nationwide longitudinal cohort study in South Korea.
Residential mobility during childhood has been widely discussed as a potential source of psychosocial disruption, yet population-level longitudinal evidence remains limited outside Western contexts. This study examined whether early-life residential mobility is associated with the subsequent risk of mood disorders in South Korea.
We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database (N = 6,668,197). Residential mobility was assessed over a six-year period spanning late childhood and early adolescence (ages 10 to 15). Incident clinical diagnoses of mood disorders (ICD-10: F31 to F39) were ascertained between ages 16 and 25. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting for key available covariates, including sex and household income.
A greater frequency of residential relocation was significantly associated with a higher risk of mood disorders. Relative to non-movers, the adjusted hazard ratios were 1.12 (95% CI: 1.12-1.13) for 1-move, 1.27 (95% CI: 1.25-1.28) for 2-move, and 1.41 (95% CI: 1.38-1.44) for 3+ moves. Associations were stronger among lower-income groups, and similar graded patterns were observed across diagnostic subtypes. Sensitivity analyses excluding early diagnoses yielded comparable results. Early-life residential mobility was associated with an elevated and progressively increasing risk of mood disorders in South Korea.
These findings underscore the importance of residential stability during sensitive developmental periods and suggest that residential mobility may represent a potentially modifiable social and environmental risk factor for later mental health. Future research incorporating intergenerational data may help clarify underlying mechanisms.
We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database (N = 6,668,197). Residential mobility was assessed over a six-year period spanning late childhood and early adolescence (ages 10 to 15). Incident clinical diagnoses of mood disorders (ICD-10: F31 to F39) were ascertained between ages 16 and 25. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting for key available covariates, including sex and household income.
A greater frequency of residential relocation was significantly associated with a higher risk of mood disorders. Relative to non-movers, the adjusted hazard ratios were 1.12 (95% CI: 1.12-1.13) for 1-move, 1.27 (95% CI: 1.25-1.28) for 2-move, and 1.41 (95% CI: 1.38-1.44) for 3+ moves. Associations were stronger among lower-income groups, and similar graded patterns were observed across diagnostic subtypes. Sensitivity analyses excluding early diagnoses yielded comparable results. Early-life residential mobility was associated with an elevated and progressively increasing risk of mood disorders in South Korea.
These findings underscore the importance of residential stability during sensitive developmental periods and suggest that residential mobility may represent a potentially modifiable social and environmental risk factor for later mental health. Future research incorporating intergenerational data may help clarify underlying mechanisms.