Urban promises or rural relief? Longitudinal effects of migration on mental health in the urban hierarchy

Jooyoung Kim, Minji Ryu and Seungbeom Kang ()
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Jooyoung Kim: Yonsei University
Minji Ryu: Yonsei University
Seungbeom Kang: Yonsei University

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Migration is a dynamic process involving various phases and types that can significantly affect individuals’ mental health. While existing studies focus on rural-to-urban migration or treat migration as a one-time event, there is limited understanding of the longitudinal effects of diverse migration types within an urban hierarchy on mental health, particularly in non-Western contexts. To fill these gaps, we analyzed 6895 individuals in panel data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS) from 2007 to 2021. We examined depressive symptoms across three migration phases: pre-migration, migration event, and post-migration. Migration was categorized into four types—upward, downward, intra-level, and intra-regional—within a five-level urban hierarchy. To examine the longitudinal effects of distinct migration types on depressive symptoms, we estimated a series of fixed-effects regression models. As a result, depressive symptoms worsen during the pre-migration phase, slightly improve during the migration event, and return to baseline levels post-migration. Women showed prolonged mental health deterioration during the pre-migration phase, while men exhibited no significant changes. Upward migration was consistently associated with lower depressive symptoms across all phases, whereas downward migration resulted in delayed mental health improvements, becoming significant only five years post-migration. These findings underscore the importance of understanding migration as a longitudinal process and considering the changes in socio-economic and environmental contexts through different types of migration within an urban hierarchy.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-06048-4

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