Silver Splits, Widowhood and Social Support in Later Life: Causal Evidence for Europe

Jacopo Lugli, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
Tallys Feldens , Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
Laura Magazzini, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies
Daniele Vignoli, University of Florence
Chiara Seghieri, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies

This study examines the causal effects of partner loss—through widowhood or silver split—on social support among older Europeans, using nine waves (2004–2022) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Combining Propensity Score Matching with a Difference-in-Differences design featuring staggered treatments, it estimates the average treatment effects of partner loss on the received support, compared against the ones who have not experienced such event despite having balanced covariate characteristics. Results reveal that partner loss generally reduces social support, but effects vary sharply by gender and dissolution type. Widowed men experience no change, while widowed women often receive compensatory help from family. After a silver split, women show stable or improved support, reflecting resilient kin-keeping roles, whereas divorced men do not. These findings underscore the gendered nature of late-life loneliness and highlight the need for policies that strengthen social networks and mitigate isolation among older adults, particularly men, following partner loss.

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 Presented in Session 9. Intergenerational Solidarity, Transfers and Responsibilities