A recent study found that people who volunteer might be happier and healthier than those who don't volunteer, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Research published on Thursday in BMC Public Health demonstrated that people who volunteer had a 20 percent lower risk of death and levels of depression. Volunteers also expressed higher levels of life satisfaction and well-being than their counterparts.
Researchers analyzed more than 40 published papers, mentioned further research is needed in order to fully explore the link between volunteering and health.
"Our systematic review shows that volunteering is associated with improvements in mental health, but more work is needed to establish whether volunteering is actually the cause," said researcher Dr. Suzanne Richards of the University of Exeter Medical School in England. "It is still unclear whether biological and cultural factors and social resources that are often associated with better health and survival are also associated with a willingness to volunteer in the first place.
"The challenge now is to encourage people from more diverse backgrounds to take up volunteering, and then to measure whether improvements arise for them."
Sara Konrath of the University of Michigan is conducting a study similar to the one published in BMC Public Health and suggests volunteering can help us deal with stress more effectively.
"Volunteering means getting off the couch and out of the house, so it makes us stronger and more physically fit. More physically fit people tend to deal with stress better, which can help them live longer lives," Konrath said. "Social connections can be good for us. We are hard-wired for face-to-face contact that includes lots of touch, eye contact, and smiles. Such interactions release a hormone called oxytocin, which helps us bond and care for others, and also helps us handle stress better."
The amount of volunteers across the world varies by country with 23 percent in Europe, 27 percent in the United States, and 36 percent in Australia.
The research cites reasons people volunteer as giving back to the community or an organization that once supported them, to gain work experience, or to simply expand social interactions.
