Volunteer activity and depression among the elderly in China

Abstract

Participation in volunteer activity has positive effects on health among elderly. Few studies have investigated the association between volunteer activity and depression among Chinese elderly. This study aimed to examine the association between volunteer activity and depression among the elderly in China regarding rural–urban differences. Totally 8255 subjects from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were selected in this study. Depression was assessed by 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Types and frequency of volunteer activity were measured in the questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between volunteer activity and depression of elderly. In our study, the urban elderly had lower depressive scores than rural elderly (6.7 ± 5.8 vs. 9.1 ± 6.7). After adjustment for all covariates, our results revealed that almost daily participation in formal volunteer activities was negatively associated with depression among urban elderly (B = -2.69, SE = 1.05, P = .010); almost daily caring for a sick or disabled adult was positively associated with depression among both urban and rural elderly (urban:B = 3.13, SE = 1.54, P = .043; rural:B = 2.56, SE = 1.18, P = .031). These findings suggested that there was a negative association between formal volunteer activity and depression among urban elderly, while there was a positive association between caring for a sick or disabled adult and depression among both urban and rural elderly. The government should take effective measures to encourage the elderly to participate in formal volunteer activities to prevent them from depression.

Impact of Social Participation Types on Depression in the Elderly in China: An Analysis Based on Counterfactual Causal Inference

“…Helping activities have no significant effect on the risk of depression in the elderly, which is in line with the previous study (12,18). Some studies have found that there is a negative association between formal volunteer activity and depression among urban elderly, while there is a positive association between caring for a sick or disabled adult and depression among both urban and rural elderly (36). However, this is not a contradiction.…”

Effects of types and levels of social capital on emotional well‐being for older people in Indonesia: A longitudinal study

“…Many past studies have found that participating in volunteering is related to lower levels of depressive symptoms 19,64 . However, participating in volunteering activities or community meetings was not significantly related to depressive symptoms.…”

“…63 Many past studies have found that participating in volunteering is related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. 19,64 However, participating in volunteering activities or community meetings was not significantly related to depressive symptoms. The reduction in depressive symptoms may be related to the intensity and quality of participation, but such data were unavailable in the IFLS.…”

The moderating effect of social participation on the relationship between health status and depressive symptoms in older adults

“…The social support investigated in our study included volunteering, grandparenting, and community and religious participation. Recent studies have indicated that engagement in voluntary work, community activities and leisure activities is associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms in older adults (37)(38)(39)(40). Older adults with higher community participation have often been found to have better physical functioning, improved subjective well-being and life satisfaction, decreased loneliness and a lower level of depression (41).…”