Conducting research is an important part of how TCK Training cares for globally mobile families. In 2024, we ran a survey of 1,643 Adult TCKs; this included 125 people who primarily due to parents' work in foreign service and humanitarian projects.

We asked our respondents which sectors their parent/s worked in abroad, and also asked them to select the primary reason their family lived overseas. 70 selected foreign service/diplomatic corps, and 55 selected humanitarian sectors (NGO, IGO, charity work, aid & development). We grouped these together (to create a sub-group of more than 100 individuals) as we saw similarities in them during analysis of our 2021 survey data.

Overall, the research reflected the complexity of an international upbringing, with both wonderful experiences and difficult impacts represented in the data:

94% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs saw a "broad worldview" as one of their strengths

93% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced symptoms of at least one mental health concern 

89% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said living internationally as a child was a good experience overall

• 74% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs were proud of their parents work abroad
• 18% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs were diagnosed with PTSD

Respondents were offered a list of statements and asked which reflected their own experiences of growing up as TCKs. These statements were based on common sentiments expressed during our work with hundreds of TCKs, including those we support with Unstacking Sessions. There were a lot of positive sentiments expressed, including:

• 94% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs could see both good and hard parts in their story. 
• 89% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said living internationally as a child was a good experience overall.
• 66% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said this was “the best way to grow up”.
• 64% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said living abroad made their family closer. 

25% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said their experience was “mostly painful” and 13% said it "ruined my life", which was a little higher than TCKs from other sectors. It is important to reiterate here that the majority of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said they could see both good and hard parts in their story, and that living overseas was a good experience overall.

We also reviewed how parents’ occupation impacted TCKs by asking which statements they identified with as children. 

The responses of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs demonstrated a deeper connection to their parents' work than most sectors. As children, 74% of foreign service & humanitarian were proud of their parents' work abroad, and 58% wanted to follow in their parents' footsteps. 55% felt a sense of purpose connected to their parents' work abroad. 

Foreign service & humanitarian also experienced some pressures and anxieties as children connected to their parents' work - less than seen in missionary TCKs, but more than seen in other sectors. 44% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs felt pressure to be 'perfect' while living abroad due to their parents' work, and 38% felt pressure to 'perform' while visiting their passport countries. 26% felt pressure to maintain their home language and accent. 

Drawing from our experiences working with hundreds of TCKs, we also curated lists of potential strengths and struggles that might be identified during adulthood. These were predominantly taken from things we regularly hear TCKs say when describing their experiences, but also included words and phrases that are often used to describe the TCKs life – for better or worse.

Foreign service & humanitarian TCKs saw strengths in their adult selves more readily than other TCKs, such as the 94% who saw a Broad Worldview as one of their strengths. Other strengths identified included:

• 90% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs identified Bridge Between Cultures as a strength
• 86% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs identified Adaptability as a strength
• 84% of foreign service & humanitarianTCKs identified Hope in Compassion as a strength
• 84% of foreign service & humanitarianTCKs identified Open-Mindedness as a strength

In addition, foreign service & humanitarian TCKs were more likely to identify Language Learning as a strength, compared to TCKs overall (54% vs 48%). 

Foreign service & humanitarian TCKs were generally a little more likely than other TCKs to identify with the listed adult struggles, with one notable exception. Foreign service & humanitarian TCKs were far less likely to say they struggled with unexpected sadness related to their childhood mobility (26% vs 42%), but also far more likely to say they struggled with unexpected anger (48% vs 21%.

Foreign service & humanitarian TCKs' greatest areas of struggle included:

• 78% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs had trouble belonging
• 63% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced identity uncertainty
• 52% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced "itchy feet"

A range of questions were asked regarding experiences of mental health. This included discussions of childhood and adulthood experiences, what mental health care was available (and which was most helpful), screening questions developed in conjunction with several mental health professionals, and questions regarding formal medical diagnoses. We will begin here by looking at key symptoms of mental ill health reported by foreign service & humanitarian TCKs through screening questions. 

34% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs said they experienced a “serious mental health crisis” during childhood. Almost all foreign service & humanitarian TCKs surveyed had experienced symptoms of at least one mental health concern during their lifetime (93%), and nearly half (47%) had at least one formally diagnosed mental health condition. 

Foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced  symptoms consistent with each of the six mental health concerns discussed here at higher rates than TCKs in general. 

• 68% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced symptoms of anxiety
• 61% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced symptoms of depression
• 48% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced symptoms of suicidal ideation
• 54% of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs experienced symptoms of PTSD

Anxiety was the most commonly diagnosed condition among foreign service & humanitarian TCKs. 39% of all foreign service & humanitarian TCKs were diagnosed with anxiety, a third (33%) with depression, and 26% with panic attacks.

Previous research showed that a significant proportion of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs grew up in homes where adults struggled with their own mental health - with the pressure on these families increasing over time. It is important that corporate families living internationally receive support to improve the mental health of parents and children alike.

This data reveals a complex picture of foreign service & humanitarian TCKs’ globally mobile childhoods: both positive experiences of childhood overall, and difficult experiences with lasting impacts. Taking time to acknowledge this “ampersand life” – the both/and of the foreign service & humanitarian TCK experience – is important. As we do this, we ask the question: with this knowledge in hand, what can we do to provide empathetic and effective care to families who travel internationally for work?

The first step is simply acknowledging that the stress of international moves has a deep impact on families and the relationships between parents and children.

Having acknowledged this difficulty, we can start reaching out for resources that will support corporate families going through the additional stresses of international relocations. TCK Training is committed to providing tools and support systems that empower corporate TCKs and their families to thrive no matter where in the world they are.