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

Anderson, Nicole D., The BRAVO Team, Damianakis, Thecla, Kröger, Edeltraut, Wagner, Laura M., Dawson, Deirdre R., Binns, Malcolm A., Bernstein, Syrelle +2 more·2014·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/a0037610
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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…

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Crossref · 10.1037/a0037610

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  • The cost of volunteering cannot be reduced to time investment alone; it emerges through interaction of emotional demands, intensity, subjective meaning, and available coping resources, and issues in a psychological consequence that organizational support and perceived recognition appear to buffer.

    “The cost of volunteering (D2) cannot be reduced to time investment alone; it emerges through the interaction of emotional demands, intensity, subjective meaning, and available coping resources, and it issues in a psychological consequence (D7) that organizational support and perceived recognition appear to buffer (21, 23, 33).”

    From Volunteerism as a multidimensional form of human prosocial engagement (2026) · cites this paper as [21]

  • Volunteering is associated with beneficial mental, social, and physical health outcomes, including higher wellbeing, lower distress, greater social connectedness, better functional health, and, in some longitudinal studies, lower mortality risk.

    “A growing body of research indicates that volunteering is associated with beneficial mental, social, and physical health outcomes, including higher wellbeing, lower distress, greater social connectedness, better functional health, and, in some longitudinal studies, lower mortality risk (21–24).”

    From Volunteerism as a multidimensional form of human prosocial engagement (2026) · cites this paper as [21]

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Authors
Anderson, N. D., The BRAVO Team, Damianakis, T., Kröger, E., Wagner, L. M., Dawson, D. R., Binns, M. A., Bernstein, S., Caspi, E., & Cook, S. L.
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2014
Volume
140
Issue
6
Pages
1505-1533
ISSN
  • 1939-1455
  • 0033-2909
DOI
10.1037/a0037610
Cited by
391
References
20
Language
en
Funders
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP 97844)

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