Volunteering: A pathway to better health

Volunteers are a powerhouse for New Zealand. They put in 159 million hours of free labour each year – worth about $4 billion to our economy, Volunteering New Zealand figures show.

But it’s a two-way street and while New Zealand might rely heavily on its volunteers, volunteers themselves can be well rewarded too - just not in dollar terms.

Recent research from the UK crunched the data from 158 international studies focused on the well-being impacts of volunteering. Most of the studies reviewed found that volunteering had a number of positive effects for the individual involved. This included:

• improved life satisfaction;
• increased happiness;
• improved quality of life;
• increased meaning or purpose in life;
• reduction in depression; and
• reduction in anxiety.
  
  

There are always some instances where volunteering can increase stress and burnout if not managed well. Also, in the past it has been hard to discern whether there really is a positive link between volunteering and well-being, or whether happier people – those with ‘higher well-being’ - are just more likely to be the ones volunteering.

“There is, however, a growing body of robust studies that give us more confidence of a direct causal relationship between volunteering and enhanced subjective well-being,” the report says. -

One of the studies looked at the effects of different social activities on adults, analysing the engagement of those aged 70 and over in various social activities, including volunteering.

“The study found that volunteering had a protective effect against depression for those in the later years or life,” it says.

This is encouraging, as statistics from Volunteering New Zealand suggest more than 30 percent of volunteers are aged over 65, and over 70 percent are aged 45 or older. Also, suicide rates amongst older New Zealand men continue to be high, according to University of Otago research.

The pathways to better health

A paper entitled Volunteering in the Community: Potential Benefits for Cognitive Aging  published in the Journals of Gerontology by academics from the University of Otago, also examined relevant research in this area. It notes that the main “theoretical” pathways through which volunteering is considered to improve cognitive functioning in older adults is via the cognitive, social and physical activity involved in the volunteering itself. These three elements provide flow-on benefits for neurological and mental health, which in turn lead to better cognitive functioning overall.

"The impact of volunteering, particularly later in life, cannot be underestimated,” says Volunteering New Zealand chief executive Michelle Kitney.

“Research overwhelming reflects that through volunteering, older volunteers gain a well-being boost. The social interaction and people contact associated with volunteer work positively impact on well-being by reducing social isolation and depression. It also provides a physical antidote to some of the challenges of aging, relating to reduced physical activity, as well as providing a sustained sense of personal identity in later life."

How to get involved

With all those mental and physical health benefits on offer, you may be keen to get involved. Find a cause, or a community, you care about through Volunteering New Zealand. Or try your local volunteer centre.