Associations between Volunteering and Mental Health during COVID-19 among Chinese Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Evidence about the association between volunteering and the mental health of older adults during COVID-19 remains underexplored. This study investigated (1) patterns of volunteering among older adults in Hong Kong during COVID-19; (2) associations between volunteering and mental health of older adults during COVID-19; and (3) associations between key psychological resources (e.g., self-efficacy and self-esteem) and volunteering among older adults during COVID-19. This study applied a cross-sectional design with data collected from 128 older adults in June 2020, who were trained as volunteers in a volunteer program that began before COVID-19. The study found that older adults continued to actively contribute to their communities by engaging in volunteering during COVID-19. The specific type of volunteering activities was linked to few depressive and anxiety symptoms. Older adults with increased self-esteem prior to COVID-19 were more likely to participate in volunteering activities related to COVID-19. Our study suggested that encouraging older adults to volunteer during the pandemic is a key pathway to maintain mental health. Social workers are encouraged to engage older adults in volunteerism regularly to offset the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms in times of crisis.

KEYWORDS:

• Volunteerism
• productive aging
• health – mental
• depression
• volunteering

Data availability statement

No additional unpublished data to share.

Ethical standards

This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the University of Hong Kong (HREC’s reference number: EA1510033).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust under Jockey Club Age-friendly City Project (Second Phase) - Baseline Assessments, Training, District Engagement and Professional Support for Three Districts [Number: AR160070] and Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee [General Research Fund Project Number: 17614820].