Stefania Molina

Stefania Molina

PhD Candidate at DYNAMICS RTG

Research

Peer-reviewed journal article

Molina, S. (2025) Unmarried Motherhood and Infant Health: The Role of Intimate Partner Violence in Colombia. Demographic Research, 52(6), 141-178. doi: 10.4054/DemRes.2025.52.6

Book chapter

Hipp, L., Schlüter, C. & Molina, S. (2022). The Role of Employers in the Implementation of Parental Leave Policies. In Alison Koslowski, Ivana Dobrotic, Sonja Blum (Eds.), Research Handbook on Leave Policy: Parenting and Social Inequalities in a Global Perspective (p.338-352). Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781800372214.00036

Work in Progress

Divorce and Mental Health: Is Late Divorce Particularly Harmful for Women with Low Earnings?
with Enrique Alonso-Perez and Michaela Kreyenfeld

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between divorce and mental health, with a focus on how this association is stratified by sex, age, and individual income. In particular, we test the hypothesis that divorce at advanced ages (50-59) is particularly harmful for women with insufficient personal earnings. Data is drawn from German register data, which includes marital histories of divorcees and diagnosed health outcomes. The analytical sample includes persons aged 30-59 in 2015 (n=23,426,639). The outcome is the annual incidence of mental disease diagnosis which is examined from an intersectional approach by drawing on MAIHDA (Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy). Our findings indicate that women are at a higher risk of receiving a mental health diagnosis than men. Divorce significantly amplifies this risk. Additionally, low income poses a heightened risk for both womenand men, particularly when divorce occurs at advanced ages.

What Differences Does It Make? Parental Relationship Quality and Child Wellbeing in Step- and Nuclear Families
with Lena Wagner, Michaela Kreyenfeld, and Enrique Alonso-Perez
Working Paper

Abstract A large body of research addresses whether and how parental partnership quality affects child wellbeing. While much of this research has focused on nuclear families, less is known about patterns in stepfamilies. This study adopts a dyadic perspective to explore how parental partnership quality relates to the wellbeing of children living with both biological parents versus those with a biological parent and a stepparent. We apply multivariable linear regression and a mediation analysis on longitudinal data from the German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) to understand the relationship between family structure, step- and biological parent’s partnership quality and children’s self-reported wellbeing, operationalised over the Strength and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ-scores). The analytical sample includes children who live in heterosexual couple households (n=1,781). We differentiate two separate dimensions of parental partnership quality, namely the frequency of conflict and esteem between the (step-)parents. Results show that children living with a stepparent exhibit higher total difficulties score compared to children living with both their biological parents. However, parental conflict occurs less and esteem more frequently in stepfamilies than in nuclear families. Mediation analysis indicates that partnership quality partially mediates the impact of family structure on SDQ scores. Our analysis suggests that the negative effect of living with stepparents on children’s socio-emotional wellbeing is slightly mitigated by increased parental esteem and lower conflict in these unions.

Union Dissolution and Parental Mental Health: A Gender Perspective
with Michaela Kreyenfeld and Julie O´Sullivan

Abstract This paper uses longitudinal data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) to examine the relationship between separation and parental mental health (N=1,887). The outcome variable is depression, measured with the State-Trait Depression Scale (scale range zero to 30). We use fixed-effects regressions to address investigate differences in depression trajectories by gender and partnership quality with a matched control group. Undergoing a separation increases depression levels, but trajectories vary depending on gender and partnership quality. Depression levels gradually increase starting one year before separation among men in high-quality partnerships. Women who separate from a low-quality partnership have increased depression levels only one year before separation, suggesting that separation can be an escape route from dysfunctional partnerships.

Women’s Economic Independence and Intimate Partner Violence During Separation
with Lena Wagner and Michaela Kreyenfeld

Abstract A growing number of studies have addressed the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV). While some studies have suggested that women's economic independence reduces the risk of IPV, the empirical evidence is still inconclusive. In particular, little is known about the factors that increase or reduce the likelihood of experiencing physical IPV during the separation process. We use data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) for the years 2009-2022. The analytical sample consists of women who went through a separation since the last interview (n=789 person-years). We use logistic regression models to examine the determinants of the risks of physical IPV during separation. We find that mothers with minor children are at strongly elevated risk of physical IPV during separation controlling for key sociodemographic characteristics. Low education as well as non-employment increases risks of physical IPV during separation for mothers and non-mothers. However, non-employment is a particular risk factor for lower educated mothers. Divorce and separation, especially when minor children are involved, can be a highly stressful time when partner conflict escalates and, in some cases, culminates in violence against the partner. This paper highlights the importance of maternal labor market integration and economic independence as a lever to reduce physical IPV and conflict during separation.