Benefits of volunteering on psychological well-being in older adulthood: evidence from a randomized controlled trial

Longitudinal associations between formal volunteering and well-being among retired older people: follow-up results from a randomized controlled trial

“…This outcome differs from prior longitudinal and cross-sectional research that found an association between volunteering and these factors (Han & Hong, 2013;Haski-Leventhal, 2009;Li & Ferraro, 2005;Morrow-Howell et al, 2003;Musick & Wilson, 2003). In terms of the results of prior RCTs, the non-significant findings for self-esteem and depression observed in the present study are consistent with outcomes from Rook and Sorkin (2003), but the finding related to depression is inconsistent with the results of Jiang et al (2020). Further research exploring these mixed results is warranted.…”

“…While some differences in physical health outcomes emerged in our RCT between those assigned to the intervention and control conditions at 6-month follow-up (blinded for review), the psychosocial benefits found in previous research were not observed (i.e., higher levels of life satisfaction; higher self-esteem, personal growth, and purpose in life; lower rates of depression; greater social connectedness and social support: Carr et al, 2018;Cho et al, 2018;Greenfield & Marks, 2004;Han & Hong, 2013;Heo et al, 2017;Lum & Lightfoot, 2005;Pilkington et al, 2012;Wahrendorf et al, 2008). These results were partially supported by the second RCT, in which older adults prompted to increase their engagement in voluntary work did not report increased self-efficacy, perceived autonomy, or purpose in life, but did report fewer depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up (Jiang et al, 2020). Given it has been suggested that the benefits of volunteering are most likely to emerge "in the medium to long term, when social networks and attitudes towards life have had the chance to change" (Russell et al, 2019, p. 119), the 6month follow-up period adopted by both these RCTs may have been too short to enable significant change to occur across many of the assessed psychosocial variables.…”

“…Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are best positioned to definitively establish causality, however few appear to have been conducted to investigate the benefits of commencing volunteering for older people, and results have been mixed (Carlson et al, 2008;Fried et al, 2004;Jiang et al, 2020;Pettigrew et al, 2019;Rook & Sorkin, 2003;Tan et al, 2006). In a trial that focused on the psychosocial outcomes of volunteering (Rook & Sorkin, 2003), follow-up assessments conducted one and two years after baseline indicated that older adults randomly assigned to volunteer for a child inpatient hospital visitation program for which they had expressed interest were more likely than those in the comparison non-volunteer groups to form new social ties.…”

Pensions and Depressive Symptoms of Older Adults in China: The Mediating Role of Intergenerational Support

“…In China, approximately 31.2 percent of older adults manifest depression symptoms [ 6 ]. With the high prevalence rate of depressive symptoms in China, it is extremely urgent to face this challenge positively and help older adults to maintain mental health, which is also a significant factor to realize successful aging that is directly associated with the quality of life and well-being of the older adults [ 7 ].…”

Volunteerism, mental health, and well-being in the lesbian, gay and bisexual community

“…Within mental health settings, volunteers often provide support to consumers with mental health conditions and their families; contribute to community education and outreach associated with raising awareness about the impact of mental health issues on the community; and advocate on a policy level for human rights protections for people affected by chronic and persistent mental health issues. Volunteers sometimes form a long-term relationship with mental health service users or participate several times a year in fundraising efforts, which may include marathons, walks, sporting events and tournaments, lotteries, and auctions (Hager, Rooney, & Pollak, 2002;Jiang et al, 2020). Although volunteer activities can differ widely (e.g., serving as a receptionist, assisting with planning fundraisers, coordinating or conducting training, etc.)…”