Dynamics of Volunteering and Life Satisfaction in Midlife and Old Age: Findings from 12 European Countries

Abstract

A growing literature shows that doing voluntary work not only helps the wider community but can also improve one's own well-being. To date, however, few studies have examined the relationship between volunteering and well-being in non-US and especially in comparative data. We study this relationship using two waves of data of 18,559 individuals aged 50 and above from 12 European countries. We analyze life satisfaction impacts of change and stability in volunteering status and in the intensity (frequency) of volunteering, and explore whether these impacts differ according to life stage (age, employment status) and across countries with different norms and supports for voluntarism. Findings show that net life satisfaction is higher among longer-term, recent, and former volunteers than among stable (long-term) non-volunteers. There are no significant life satisfaction differences between the three groups with volunteer experience. Equally, similar levels of life satisfaction are observed among people who have increased and decreased their frequency of volunteering. It thus seems to be the experience and not the dynamics (i.e., change or persistence) of volunteering that is associated with well-being. Findings further suggest life course variation in the association between volunteering and well-being, as the relationship is stronger for older and long-term non-employed (mostly retired) individuals than for their middle-aged and working counterparts. The relationship is also stronger in countries where volunteering is less common and less institutionally supported.

Exploring long‐term volunteerism in a community family service centre in Singapore: A Focused Ethnographic Study

“…The findings of the study further suggested that engaging in voluntary work allowed the volunteers to achieve greater meaning in life, as is consistent with other studies (Binder, 2015; Hansen, Aartsen, Slagsvold, & Deindl, 2018). The participants herein were generally retirees at least 61 years of age.…”

The Role of Voluntary Work in the Improvement of the Social Capital and Sustainable Development in Saudi Society

“…The responses showed that voluntary work is carried out because of a personal and humanistic motive and satisfaction as a result of feeling responsible towards others. This result supports what (Hansen et al, 2018) mentioned regarding voluntary work claiming that itis a common feeling that increases relationships and solidarity with others in addition to increasing their trust in the institution they belong to. Moreover, voluntary work organizes their efforts and increases their skills and efficiencies during training (Aranda et al, 2019;René Bekkers, 2007).…”

Active Aging Program in Nursing Homes: Effects on Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

“…Likewise, participants in the experimental group created useful products that could be sold for charity reasons or given as gifts. Previous research shows that voluntary work, such as the ones included in this comprehensive active aging program, promote a strong sense of meaning and personal growth, thus they have a positive influence on older adults' psychological well-being and life satisfaction (Hansen, Aartsen, Slagsvold, & Deindl, 2018;Ho, 2017;Pilkington, Windsor, & Crisp, 2012).…”