Volunteering and social ties after marital separation: An exploratory study on a sample of separated parents in Italy

Separations and divorces are nonnormative life events, which may have negative consequences on ex-partners’ social ties and social participation. The latter, however, may be protective resources in the post-separation adjustment. The present study focused on the role of volunteering and social ties for expartners’ well-being. In a sample of separated parents, we explored whether differences existed between volunteers and nonvolunteers in social ties characteristics (network size, frequency of contacts, and social support), and whether these characteristics mediated the association of volunteering with different dimensions of well-being (satisfaction with life, depressive symptoms, generativity). Results showed that volunteers reported more frequent contacts with friends and higher levels of given and received social support to/from relatives and friends than nonvolunteers. Mediational analyses revealed that frequency of contacts with friends explained the link between volunteering and satisfaction with life and depressive symptoms, while social support mediated the association between volunteering and generativity. A complex picture emerges about the pathways linking volunteering to separated parents’ well-being.