Single-session volunteering reduces loneliness in older adults: immediate and long-term effects

Loneliness in later life endangers the healthy longevity of older adults. This study examined the effect of a single-session volunteering intervention on loneliness and subsequent volunteering behavior of older volunteers, in the context of the "old-help-old" model.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 76 older adults (aged 59-79 years; M = 70.18, SD = 4.51). Participants were randomly assigned to a volunteering group, which provided support to nursing home residents in structured activities (n = 39; M = 70.44, SD = 3.41), or a control group (n = 37; M = 69.92, SD = 5.48). Loneliness, depression, and sleep quality were assessed at baseline, and during 1-week and 1-month follow-ups. Dynamic assessments were also conducted using daily diary measures over 8 days spanning the volunteering.

Older adults who volunteered showed a significant reduction in loneliness within 24 hours. They also exhibited linear improvements in loneliness, depression, and sleep quality during the 8-day diary period. Moreover, the effects on loneliness persisted at both the 1-week and 1-month follow-ups. Increased engagement in volunteering was observed, and this change mediated the long-term effect of volunteering on loneliness reduction.

These findings support the feasibility and efficacy of a micro-volunteering model. This approach improves the psychosocial health of older volunteers while delivering social support to their peers in nursing homes, offering reciprocal advantages. This provides community organizations with practical, cost-effective strategies to improve the psychosocial well-being of aging populations.