Exploring the Effects of Volunteering on the Social, Mental, and Physical Health and Well-being of Volunteers: An Umbrella Review

• DOI: 10.1007/s11266-023-00573-z
• Publication Date: 2023-05-04T19:01:59Z
• Authors: Beth Nichol; Rob Wilson; Angela Rodrigues; Catherine Haighton
• Keywords: Physical health

Volunteering provides unique benefits to organisations, recipients, and potentially the volunteers themselves. This umbrella review examined of volunteering their potential moderators. Eleven databases were searched for systematic reviews on social, mental, physical, or general health volunteering, published up July 2022. AMSTAR 2 was used assess quality overlap included primary studies calculated. Twenty-eight included; participants mainly older adults based in USA. Although between low, generally poor. Benefits found all three domains, with reduced mortality increased functioning exerting largest effects. Older age, reflection, religious altruistic motivations most consistently. Referral social prescribing clients is recommended. Limitations include need align results research conducted after COVID-19 pandemic. (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022349703).