It's no secret that moving is as stressful (if not more so) for children as it is for parents. But a new study has found that it may be far more harmful that previously thought.

The degree to which frequent moves can inflict psychological damage on young people was the topic of a June 26 article by MSNBC.com contributor Linda Carroll:

Psychologists have known for years that moves can be distressing for kids. But a new study shows that the impact on some adolescents may be far more devastating than anyone thought. The study, published in the Archives of Psychiatry, found that kids aged 11 to 17 were twice as likely to attempt suicide if their families moved three or more times compared to those who had never moved.

And, if the family moved more than 10 times, the children were four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who had never moved.

For the new study, researchers looked at data from 4,160 Danish children who were brought to hospitals after attempting suicide, as well as 79 who had succeeded in their suicide attempts. These children, all between the ages of 11 and 17, were compared to 124,800 adolescents who had not made suicide attempts.

"Adolescence is an inherently turbulent time for children, and moves may be more traumatic in some cases," the study's lead author, Dr. Ping Qin of the University of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark, told MSNBC.

Labels: family, risky_behaviors, suicide