IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/dem/wpaper/wp-2025-014.html

Enduring links: mental health effects of ex-partner’s life events among separated parents

Author

Listed:
  • Philipp Dierker

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Mine Kühn

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Sanna Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist
  • Mikko Myrskylä

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

Abstract

Objective: This study examines whether life events of ex-partners with a shared child affect each other’s mental health. Background: While prior research has documented interdependencies within intact families, such as between parents and children or within couples, we extend the linked lives concept to separated parents. We argue that parents’ lives remain interdependent even after separation, unlike separations between partners without children. Accordingly, life events experienced by the ex-partner (re-partnering, separation, childbirth, cancer diagnosis, death, and parental death) could affect an individual’s mental health. Method: Using Finnish register data and panel data methods (fixed effects, fixed effects with individual slopes, and dynamic difference-in-difference models), we analyze families in which parents separated while their firstborn was a minor. Mental health is operationalized by psychotropic medication purchasing. Results: Positive life events of the ex-partner, such as re-partnering and childbirth, reduce the probability of the other ex-partner purchasing psychotropic medication. Conversely, negative life events, including the ex-partner’s cancer diagnosis and death, increase this probability, with stronger effects observed for women. More distant life events, such as the ex-partner’s separation or their parent’s death, show no consistent associations. Conclusion: These findings support the presence of enduring links among separated parents. However, the effects of life events diminish with generational distance and after new partnerships are formed. Current partners’ life events have a stronger impact than those of ex-partners throughout.

Suggested Citation

  • Philipp Dierker & Mine Kühn & Sanna Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist & Mikko Myrskylä, 2025. "Enduring links: mental health effects of ex-partner’s life events among separated parents," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2025-014, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2025-014
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2025-014
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/papers/working/wp-2025-014.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2025-014?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Øystein Kravdal & Jonathan Wörn, 2023. "Mental and Physical Health Trajectories of Norwegian Parents and Children before and after Union Dissolution," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 49(1), pages 71-103, March.
    2. Michael J. Thomas & Clara H. Mulder & Thomas J. Cooke, 2018. "Geographical Distances Between Separated Parents: A Longitudinal Analysis," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(4), pages 463-489, October.
    3. Felix Elwert & Nicholas Christakis, 2008. "Wives and ex-wives: A new test for homogamy bias in the widowhood effect," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(4), pages 851-873, November.
    4. Zafer Buyukkececi, 2021. "Does Re-Partnering Behavior Spread Among Former Spouses?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(4), pages 799-824, November.
    5. Thijs van den Broek & Emily Grundy, 2018. "Parental health limitations, caregiving and loneliness among women with widowed parents: longitudinal evidence from France," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 369-377, December.
    6. Michael J. Thomas & Clara H. Mulder & Thomas J. Cooke, 2018. "Erratum to: Geographical Distances Between Separated Parents: A Longitudinal Analysis," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(4), pages 689-689, October.
    7. Lara Augustijn, 2023. "Post-separation Care Arrangements and Parents’ Life Satisfaction: Can the Quality of Co-parenting and Frequency of Interparental Conflict Explain the Relationship?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1319-1338, April.
    8. Marco Tosi & Marco Albertini, 2019. "Does Children’s Union Dissolution Hurt Elderly Parents? Linked Lives, Divorce and Mental Health in Europe," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(4), pages 695-717, October.
    9. Cees H. Elzinga & Aart C. Liefbroer, 2007. "De-standardization of Family-Life Trajectories of Young Adults: A Cross-National Comparison Using Sequence Analysis," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 23(3), pages 225-250, October.
    10. Andrew E. Clark & Ed Diener & Yannis Georgellis & Richard E. Lucas, 2008. "Lags And Leads in Life Satisfaction: a Test of the Baseline Hypothesis," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(529), pages 222-243, June.
    11. Tobias Ruttenauer & Ozan Aksoy, 2024. "When Can We Use Two-Way Fixed-Effects (TWFE): A Comparison of TWFE and Novel Dynamic Difference-in-Differences Estimators," Papers 2402.09928, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2025.
    12. Sun, Liyang & Abraham, Sarah, 2021. "Estimating dynamic treatment effects in event studies with heterogeneous treatment effects," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 175-199.
    13. Mia Hakovirta & Daniel R. Meyer & Milla Salin & Eija Lindroos & Mari Haapanen, 2023. "Joint physical custody of children in Europe: A growing phenomenon," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 49(18), pages 479-492.
    14. Thomas Leopold & Matthijs Kalmijn, 2016. "Is Divorce More Painful When Couples Have Children? Evidence From Long-Term Panel Data on Multiple Domains of Well-being," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 1717-1742, December.
    15. Polachek, Solomon W. & Kim, Moon-Kak, 1994. "Panel estimates of the gender earnings gap : Individual-specific intercept and individual-specific slope models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 23-42, March.
    16. Barr, Peter B. & Silberg, Judy & Dick, Danielle M. & Maes, Hermine H., 2018. "Childhood socioeconomic status and longitudinal patterns of alcohol problems: Variation across etiological pathways in genetic risk," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 51-58.
    17. Thomas Leopold, 2018. "Gender Differences in the Consequences of Divorce: A Study of Multiple Outcomes," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(3), pages 769-797, June.
    18. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hudde, Ansgar & Jacob, Marita, 2022. "There’s More in the Data! Using Month-Specific Information to Estimate Changes Before and After Major Life Events," SocArXiv vueas, Center for Open Science.
    2. Sanna Bergvall & Nuria Rodriguez-Planas, 2024. "Motherhood and domestic violence: A longitudinal study using population - wide administrative data," Working Papers 2024/09, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    3. repec:osf:socarx:3mfzq_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Sebastian Will & Timon Renz, 2021. "In Debt but Still Happy? Examining the Relationship between Homeownership and Life Satisfaction," ERES eres2021_89, European Real Estate Society (ERES).
    5. Ansgar Hudde & Marita Jacob, 2023. "There’s More in the Data! Using Month-Specific Information to Estimate Changes Before and After Major Life Events," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1184, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    6. Mari Haapanen & Trisha Chanda & Anneli Miettinen & Quentin H. Riser & Judith Bartfeld & Mia Hakovirta, 2024. "Shared Care and Mothers’ Post-separation Economic Wellbeing in Finland and Wisconsin, US: Does Child Support and Sharing Child’s Costs Matter?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 998-1011, December.
    7. repec:osf:socarx:vueas_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Rüttenauer, Tobias & Kapelle, Nicole, 2024. "Panel Data Analysis," SocArXiv 3mfzq, Center for Open Science.
    9. Zafer Buyukkececi, 2021. "Does Re-Partnering Behavior Spread Among Former Spouses?," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(4), pages 799-824, November.
    10. Alvaro Muniz-Fernandez & Brad Humphreys & Jane E. Ruseski, 2026. "The Impact of Legalized Sports Betting on Divorce," Working Papers 26-06, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    11. Gueltzow, Maria & Lahtinen, Hannu & Bijlsma, Maarten J. & Myrskylä, Mikko & Martikainen, Pekka, 2024. "Genetic propensity to depression and the role of partnership status," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 351(C).
    12. Bhalotra, Sonia & Britto, Diogo & Pinotti, Paolo & Sampaio, Breno, 2021. "Job Displacement, Unemployment Benefits and Domestic Violence," CEPR Discussion Papers 16350, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    13. Bas Scheer & Wiljan van den Berge & Maarten Goos & Alan Manning & Anna Salomons, 2022. "Alternative Work Arrangements and Worker Outcomes: Evidence from Payrolling," CPB Discussion Paper 435, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    14. Ana M. Silva & José M. Arranz & Carlos García-Serrano, 2026. "Evaluating the impact of the large 2019 increase in the Spanish minimum wage on job retention and employment," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 13(1), pages 1-22, December.
    15. Mac Clay, Pablo & Börner, Jan & Sellare, Jorge, 2023. "Institutional and macroeconomic stability mediate the effect of auctions on renewable energy capacity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    16. Alex Hollingsworth & Krzysztof Karbownik & Melissa A. Thomasson & Anthony Wray, 2024. "The Gift of a Lifetime: The Hospital, Modern Medicine, and Mortality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(7), pages 2201-2238, July.
    17. Catalina Amuedo‐Dorantes & Francisca M. Antman, 2022. "De facto immigration enforcement, ICE raid awareness, and worker engagement," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(1), pages 373-391, January.
    18. D. Mark Anderson & Yang Liang & Joseph J. Sabia, 2024. "Mandatory seatbelt laws and traffic fatalities: A reassessment," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(3), pages 513-521, April.
    19. Nadja van 't Hoff & Giovanni Mellace & Seetha Menon, 2025. "Gender Differences in Healthcare Utilisation: Causal Evidence from Unexpected Adverse Health Shocks," Papers 2509.01310, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2026.
    20. Binelli, Chiara & Comi, Simona & Meschi, Elena & Pagani, Laura, 2024. "Every cloud has a silver lining: The role of study time and class recordings on university students’ performance during COVID-19," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 305-328.
    21. Wahyu, Muhammad & Thaariq, Rahmanda & Lusiantoro, Luluk, 2026. "Breaking connectivity barriers: Does China’s Belt and Road Initiative affect global logistics performance?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    22. Arne Henningsen & Guy Low & David Wuepper & Tobias Dalhaus & Hugo Storm & Dagim Belay & Stefan Hirsch, 2026. "Estimating Causal Effects With Observational Data: Guidelines for Agricultural and Applied Economists," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 77(2), pages 356-382, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2025-014. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Wilhelm (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.