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Volunteer work and well-being
1Department of Sociology, Box 1811-B, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA. peggy.thoits@vanderbilt.edu
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|July 27, 2001
Summary
Engaging in volunteer work boosts personal well-being, including happiness and health. Conversely, individuals with higher well-being are more likely to volunteer, indicating a reciprocal relationship.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Prior research often focused on voluntary memberships over volunteer work.
- Studies frequently used cross-sectional data, limiting longitudinal insights.
- Emphasis has been on social causation, overlooking selection effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the bidirectional relationship between volunteer work and personal well-being.
- To investigate both selection and social causation effects in volunteering.
- To understand how volunteering impacts happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control, physical health, and depression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two waves of panel data from Americans' Changing Lives (N = 2,681).
- Analyzed the association between community volunteer work and six dimensions of well-being.
- Investigated selection effects (antecedents of volunteering) and social causation effects (consequences of volunteering).
Main Results:
- Volunteer work was found to enhance all six measured aspects of personal well-being.
- Individuals with higher well-being reported investing more hours in volunteer service.
- A reciprocal relationship exists between volunteering and enhanced personal well-being.
Conclusions:
- Volunteer engagement positively influences multiple facets of an individual's well-being.
- Personal well-being also acts as a predictor for increased volunteer participation.
- Further research should explore self-selection versus organizational recruitment in volunteering.