Partners’ Health and Silver Splits in Europe: A Gendered Pattern?

Objective As populations age, family dynamics are inherently intertwined with health issues. This paper addresses the correlates of silver splits – i.e., voluntary union dissolutions after the age of 50 – in Europe by focusing on the role of partners’ health status. Background Family diversity at later ages is growing in wealthy countries, with late union dissolutions increasingly occurring through separation and divorce rather than widowhood. Nonetheless, we know little about the correlates of silver splits in Europe, especially regarding the role of health status. Method We use data from the European Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement, and employ discrete-time event history analysis to model the probability of silver splits, separately for couples in which both partners are aged 50–64 and for couples in which at least one partner is 65 or older. We inspect three different health dimensions for both partners within a couple: the self-rated health, the Global Activity Limitations Index, and depression. Results Our results indicate a non-negligible association between health status and union dissolution among couples aged 50–64, with gender playing a crucial role. When the male partner has poor self-rated health or activity limitations, but the female partner is healthy, the risk of union dissolution remains similar to that of healthy couples. However, if the female partner has poor self-rated health or activity limitations while the male partner is healthy, the risk of union dissolution increases significantly. Additionally, poor mental health in either partner (or both) raises the risk of union dissolution. The results regarding couples in which at least one partner is aged 65 are less informative, suggesting that the role of health in shaping silver splits may weaken with age. Conclusion Researchers should consider how health operates as a stressor on union stability and should exercise caution in interpreting cross-sectional studies as evidence of the benefits of unions. Among couples in the early phase of old age (50–64), gendered health-related selection effects are at play, with men struggling more than women with a partner’s deteriorating health, jeopardizing the couple’s stability. Acknowledgements This work was funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, in the context of The National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Investment Partenariato Esteso PE8 “Conseguenze e sfide dell'invecchiamento†, Research Program Age-It (Ageing Well in an Ageing Society, PE8-B83C22004800006). The authors are thankful to the colleagues from the Unit of Population and Society (UPS) of the University of Florence, to the members of the Laboratory on Longevity and Ageing (LoLA), to Damiano Uccheddu and to Francesca Zanasi for their comments.