Go on, volunteer -- it could be good for you
Thursday, August 22, 2013 - 20:00
in Health & Medicine
Volunteering can improve mental health and help you live longer, finds the study which pools and compares data from multiple experimental trials and longitudinal cohort studies. Some observational evidence points to around a 20 per cent reduction in mortality among volunteers compared to non-volunteers in cohort studies. Volunteers also reported lower levels of depression, increased life satisfaction and enhanced well-being, although the findings have yet to be confirmed in trials.