Volunteering and resilience in wartime: evidence from two population-based studies in Israel

Resilience is a key factor in coping with and recovering from large-scale traumatic events. Although volunteering has generally been associated with improving or maintaining resilience, evidence from wartime contexts is mixed. This study examined the association between volunteering during armed conflict and individual resilience.

We used data from two population-based studies, conducted within six weeks (Study 1, n = 453) and 6 months after (Study 2, n = 1035) the October 7th, 2023 terror attacks and onset of the ensuing war in Israel. In Study 1, multivariable linear regression models were utilized to assess the association between psychological exposure to war and resilience, while accounting for potential interaction between psychological exposure to war and volunteering. In Study 2, latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of volunteering based on type, duration and frequency of activities. Multivariable linear regression models then examined associations between volunteering patterns and resilience, followed by a mediation analysis assessing the role of social integration.

A statistically significant interaction emerged in Study 1 indicating that the relationship between psychological war exposure and resilience was weaker when volunteering was higher. Study 2 found that the pattern characterized by high intensity volunteering at logistic distribution centers was significantly associated with higher resilience (β = 0.49, p = 0.001), with social integration mediating 31% of this effect.

These findings show a persistent association between substantive communal volunteering and higher resilience that may buffer the negative impact of war exposure.