The Health Benefits of Volunteering
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The report documents some of the major findings from studies that look at the relationship between health and volunteering, with particular emphasis on those studies that seek to determine the causal relationship between these two factors. It is based on research studies undertaken among older volunteers in the United States.
Summary
Over the past two decades, a growing body of research indicates that volunteering provides not just social benefits, but individual health benefits as well.
This research has established a strong relationship between volunteering and health and suggests that efforts should be made to promote volunteering among older individuals. Apart from benefiting their community, significant health benefits include lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression.
Notable are the findings regarding the “volunteering threshold,” which indicates that in order for older volunteers to experience significant benefits from their volunteering activities, their level of commitment to these activities needs to be considerable, or, on average, one or two hours a week.
