COVER STORY B efore embarking for a new country, Canadians can easily check their risk of contracting an illness and arrange to be vaccinated against hepatitis, encephalitis, rabies or yellow fever. But there’s no vaccine for loneliness, anxiety or depression and their attendant health risks. That’s not to say that employers can’t protect the mental and physical health of employees who undertake international moves. There are many steps that they can take. Ultimately, the best strategy is to anticipate the potential for distress and build in a cushion of linked supports to lessen the impact. In a 2016 survey of academic literature on the subject of moving and mental health published in the journal Progress in Human Geography, researcher Tim Morris notes increasing evidence that just the act of moving “may have adverse effects on a wide range of health outcomes,” and that frequent relocation is linked to “poorer general mental health and wellbeing.” The signs of this can range from higher levels of depression and anxiety to an increase in tobacco, drug and alcohol use. While frequent moves are hardest on children (who may demon- strate emotional and behavioural consequences in later life), adults are by no means immune. What is highly surprising, however, is that MOVING DAZE researchers have found that short-distance moves are generally asso- ciated with poorer health than longer-distance moves, writes Morris. Why, exactly? Because long-distance moves tend to be part of a new and welcome life development. They are something an indi- vidual or family usually pro-actively embarks on, rather than the result of a situation forced upon them out of need. While “long distance moves may be more disruptive,” notes Harris, “they are less likely to be made under duress, and more likely to be related to labour market repositioning or other positive relocation.” In other words, the excitement and sense of achievement that accompany a distant work-related move go a long way towards mitigating the inherent stresses of the relocation. HONEYMOON PERIOD The initial euphoria that often accompanies such a move does, however, dissipate when the reality of integrating into a new, foreign environment takes hold. “We find that there’s a honeymoon period – people are excited, everything is new – then there’s that realization that how to communicate, how to get around is more draining,” says Paula Allen, VP of research, analytics and innova- tion for Morneau Shepell, a global HR services and technology company headquartered in Toronto. By Sarah B. Hood Relocation takes a toll on the mental health of transferees. What employers can do to lessen the impact 14 PERSPECTIVES Spring 2019