The benefits associated with volunteering among seniors: A critical review and recommendations for future research.

Abstract

There is an urgent need to identify lifestyle activities that reduce functional decline and dementia associated with population aging. The goals of this article are to review critically the evidence on the benefits associated with formal volunteering among older adults, propose a theoretical model of how volunteering may reduce functional limitations and dementia risk, and offer recommendations for future research. Database searches identified 113 papers on volunteering benefits in older adults, of which 73 were included. Data from descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective cohort studies, along with 1 randomized controlled trial, most consistently reveal that volunteering is associated with reduced symptoms of depression, better self-reported health, fewer functional limitations, and lower mortality. The extant evidence provides the basis for a model proposing that volunteering increases social, physical, and cognitive activity (to varying degrees depending on characteristics of the volunteer placement) which, through biological and psychological mechanisms, leads to improved functioning; we further propose that these volunteering-related functional improvements should be associated with reduced dementia risk. Recommendations for future research are that studies (a) include more objective measures of psychosocial, physical, and cognitive functioning; (b) integrate qualitative and quantitative methods in prospective study designs; (c) explore further individual differences in the benefits associated with volunteering; (d) include occupational analyses of volunteers' specific jobs in order to identify their social, physical, and cognitive complexity; (e) investigate the independent versus interactive health benefits associated with volunteering relative to engagement in other forms of activity; and (f) examine the relationship between volunteering and dementia risk.

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

“…Most studies on older adults and volunteering have been conducted in the US. 12,59 A series of literature reviews has enumerated the benefits to older adults of volunteering. 12,57,59,60 Most studies report on the psychological and social benefits of volunteering, 12 although there is some research that demonstrates associations between volunteering and physical indicators of health.…”

“…12,59 A series of literature reviews has enumerated the benefits to older adults of volunteering. 12,57,59,60 Most studies report on the psychological and social benefits of volunteering, 12 although there is some research that demonstrates associations between volunteering and physical indicators of health. Volunteering has positive associations with perceived health, 61 life satisfaction, 62 positive mood 12 and reduced mortality levels among older adults.…”

“…12,57,59,60 Most studies report on the psychological and social benefits of volunteering, 12 although there is some research that demonstrates associations between volunteering and physical indicators of health. Volunteering has positive associations with perceived health, 61 life satisfaction, 62 positive mood 12 and reduced mortality levels among older adults. 63,64 A meta-analysis of 37 largely crosssectional studies found that older adult volunteers had higher wellbeing than older non-volunteers.…”

“…10,11 Despite the research interest in social participation, the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity. There are multiple concepts that are either used to describe aspects of or used interchangeably with the term 'social participation', including volunteering, 12 civic engagement, 13 community engagement, 14 community participation, 15 formal social participation 16 and social engagement. 10 The lack of consensus on a definition of social participation results in communication difficulties for those using the concept, problems in the development and selection of instruments to measure social participation, difficulties comparing results across studies and potentially ineffective social policy efforts.…”

Do Volunteering and Charity Pay Off? Well-being Benefits of Participating in Voluntary Work and Charity for Older and Younger Adults in Finland

“…Participating in voluntary work may be internally rewarding because individuals tend to enjoy taking part in social activities (Dolan et al, 2008). In addition, people may receive physical (i.e., better health) or psychological (e.g., happiness) rewards by engaging in voluntary work and charity (Anderson et al, 2014). Thus, sacrificing time or money for the benefit of others may be self-rewarding independently of the visible outcome of these activities (e.g., increase in salary etc.…”