Diverging Pathways from Internal Migration to Mental Health: The Mediating Effects of Social Mobility and Social Networks

Abstract Internal migration reflects a cross-cultural and enduring human tendency to seek improved opportunities and better living conditions. Yet moving away from one’s childhood home brings not only potential benefits but also considerable challenges, which may help explain why migration effects on mental health remain inconsistent across studies. This study investigates two competing pathways linking migration distance from one’s childhood home to psychological outcomes. Using data from 871 U.S. adults, (56% male, M age=42.4), we employed structural equation modeling to test whether migration predicts psychological well-being and distress through (1) upward social mobility and (2) network fragmentation and emotional distance. Social mobility, measured as intergenerational change in income and education, mediated a positive pathway from migration to mental health. In contrast, physical dispersion of close social ties predicted emotional distance, and the two mediated a negative pathway to mental health. Both mediating pathways were significant and held after controlling for age. Migrants also reported fewer family members in their core social networks, with the steepest declines evident within 50 miles from home. These findings suggest that the psychological benefits of upward mobility are often counterbalanced by the social costs of fragmented networks. Our use of a spatially grounded measure of egocentric network structure introduces a novel approach for modeling relational geography and its influence on psychological health in the context of internal migration.