Aspects of the volunteering experience associated with well‐being in older adults

Abstract

Participation in formal volunteering has the potential to facilitate healthy ageing. 1 Defined as non-mandatory and unremunerated work undertaken via an affiliation with an organisation, 2,3 formal volunteering has been found to be especially beneficial for older adults. 4 An extensive body of evidence has linked participation in formal volunteering with positive outcomes across multiple psychological domains, including higher levels of psychological well-being, greater self-esteem, and fewer depressive symptoms [for a review see 5].

Aspects of formal volunteering that contribute to favourable psychological outcomes in older adults

“…The remaining aspects of volunteering assessed in the present study did not predict changes in any of the three outcomes. This stands in contrast to previous research finding that volunteers who receive adequate support from the organisation for which they volunteer and believe their efforts contribute to the well-being of others derive greater benefit from their volunteering relative to those who do not (Jongenelis and Pettigrew 2020;McMunn et al 2009;Morrow-Howell et al 2009;Tang et al 2010;Wahrendorf et al 2006). Support for the proposition that psychological outcomes are favourably influenced by the degree to which voluntary work permits new learning experiences and the utilisation of skills was also not found.…”

“…In the first study, hours of volunteering per week was associated with a greater decrease in subjective well-being (operationalised as a greater increase in negative affect) among those without partners and with higher levels of education relative to those who were partnered and with lower levels of education (Windsor et al 2008). In the second study, gender, age, education, and living arrangement did not moderate the relationship between various aspects of volunteering (e.g., the degree to which volunteers believed they receive adequate appreciation from others for their volunteer work) and various indicators of psychological health (e.g., depression) (Jongenelis and Pettigrew 2020).…”

“…Among the few studies conducted to date, several factors have been identified. This research suggests that older volunteers who feel appreciated for their volunteer work and believe their efforts contribute to the well-being of others are more likely than those who do not feel this way to experience greater subjective well-being (operationalised in these studies as positive mental health and lower levels of depression) (Jongenelis and Pettigrew 2020;McMunn et al 2009;Tang et al 2010;Wahrendorf et al 2006). The number of hours spent volunteering has also been found to be associated with subjective well-being, with previous research indicating that participation in approximately 2-3 hours of volunteering per week is associated with favourable psychological well-being and fewer depressive symptoms, while volunteering above and below this threshold is associated with lower levels of subjective well-being (Morrow-Howell et al 2003;Windsor et al 2008).…”

“…Although findings from this prior work suggest that most aspects of the volunteering experience may not be differentially associated with psychological outcomes among certain demographic groups, this research was limited by the few aspects examined (in the case of Windsor et al 2008) and cross-sectional design (in the case of Jongenelis and Pettigrew 2020). Furthermore, of particular interest is the degree to which engagement in informal volunteering moderates the relationship between aspects of the volunteering experience and psychological health, however this variable has not been examined in prior work.…”

Volunteering and Depression among Older Adults: An Empirical Analysis Based on CLASS 2018

“…On the other hand, activity theory [58] suggests that older adults stay involved in activities that facilitate social connectedness. In particular, giving more than receiving contributes to psychological well-being [59,60], consistent with the present study's findings, it deepens the analysis that participation in volunteering, and greater frequency and variety of participation, help reduce depression, which validates previous theories and studies that a continuum of activity enables older adults to maintain higher psychological effectiveness. Activity theory, therefore, explains why more frequent volunteering and a wider variety of volunteering activities by older adults can reduce depression.…”