Volunteering is not beneficial until you hit 40, study finds

Volunteering has long been known to boost mental health and raise happiness levels, but a new study suggests the benefits do not kick in until the age of 40. Researchers at the University of Southampton looked at data from the British Household Panel Survey which sampled adults living in 5,000 households every year from 1991 to 2008.

The questionnaires measured mental health and emotional wellbeing and the team compared it to how often people volunteered.

They found that those who volunteered regularly scored an average of six per cent higher on wellbeing tests across every age group. But when the results were teased out it soon became clear the overall figures was masking a big jump for the over 40s, and no impact at all for younger people.

Figures showed that young people aged 21-25 had good emotional health whether they volunteered or not. As they got older it started to decline. But from the age of 40 mental health and wellbeing improved significantly for those volunteering, peaking at the age of 76 to 80 when there was 12 per cent boost to mental health for those who gave up their time to help others.

The researchers speculate that volunteering at younger ages may just be viewed as another obligation or chore, but becomes more meaningful in early middle age as people become involved in personal or community activities, such as helping out at a child's school.

"Volunteering might provide those groups with greater opportunities for beneficial activities and social contacts, which in turn may have protective effects on health status," said Dr Faiza Tabassum, of the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute, University of Southampton. "With the ageing of the population, it is imperative to develop effective health promotion for this last third of life, so that those living longer are healthier."

It may also be beneficial for those who have been made redundant or who have retired.

"Volunteering may also provide a sense of purpose, particularly for those people who have lost their earnings, because regular volunteering helps maintain social networks, which are especially important for older people who are often socially isolated," added Dr Tabassum.

Previous research indicates that people who volunteer are likely to have more resources, a larger social network, and more power and prestige, all of which have knock-on effects on physical and mental health, the researchers point out.

The study was published in the journal BMJ Open.

(China Daily 08/27/2016 page23)