Universität zu Köln

Sytkina, Kateryna ORCID: 0009-0003-9584-9700 (2026). The Aftermath of Critical Life Events: Parental Death, Parental Separation, and Forced Migration. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

This dissertation aims to examine the aftermath of two distinct types of negative critical life events: 1) within the family context—disruptions in adult mental health caused by parental death (Event 1) and in extended family relations associated with parental separation (Event 2), and 2) within the forced migration adaptation context (Event 3)—the interplay between integration and intentions to settle in the host country for refugees, and their romantic aspirations within the available social networks. These events are related to individuals’ “home”—the family of origin or the country of origin—contexts where individuals are supposed to feel safe and find comfort. Research on these life events has overlooked important dimensions of parental death, parental separation, and forced migration. Specifically, for parental death, most studies rely on annual effects of mental health, which omit the most critical period for grief and coping—the first year after the loss, when mental health responses can be most intense and adaptation the fastest. For parental separation, the considerable body of research focuses on disruptions in nuclear kin relations, overlooking the possibility that tie erosions may extend into the broader extended kin network as a byproduct. For forced migration, most research examines the relationship between integration and settlement intentions unidirectionally, without addressing the potential reciprocity of these processes. Migration research also remains limited in its knowledge of the actual availability of potential and desired partners for refugees in the host country. This dissertation addresses these four gaps. Relying on the life course perspective—together with theories of grief and coping (Event 1), family systems (Event 2), transnational framework (Event 3), and cultural homophily within theories of marriage (Event 3)—this dissertation highlights three main findings. First, the mental health aftermath of parental death is deeper and faster when observed on monthly compared to annual timescales, with mental health declines evident during first months after the loss and adaptation unfolding around four months since the event (Study 1). Second, parental separation was associated with deeper and broader erosions in family ties, with effects extrapolating to the extended kin network (Study 2). Third, the relationship between refugees’ integration and intentions to settle is reciprocal and dynamic over time (Study 3). In addition, a substantial share of male refugees lacking female social contacts may signal deeper disruptions in their social networks that warrant further investigation (Study 4). Male refugees with female contacts, however, report higher romantic aspirations with religiously similar women. Overall, this dissertation highlights the importance of a more fine-grained look at mental health responses to parental death and mental health support during the first year after parental loss. It underscores the importance of relationship gatekeeping in family networks, showing how disruptions in nuclear kin among separated families can permeate into the surrounding extended kin network. Additionally, it highlights that refugees’ integration can not only predict but also result from the agency of refugees and their changing intentions to settle. Lastly, it concludes the importance of refugees’ access to culturally similar social contacts.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Sytkina, Kateryna sytkina@wiso.uni-koeln.de https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9584-9700 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-802732
Date:	2026
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Management, Economy and Social Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Sociology and Social Psychology > Department of Scociology
Subjects:	Social sciences
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language life events English life course English mental health English parental death English extended kin English parental separation English migration English settlement intentions English integration English partnership formation English homophily English romantic potential English kin English health English agency English
Date of oral exam:	7 April 2026
Referee:	Name Academic Title Leopold, Thomas Prof. Dr. Hank, Karsten Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/80273