Volunteering and life satisfaction: a closer look at the hypothesis that volunteering more strongly benefits the unhappy

Martin Binder

Applied Economics Letters, 2015, vol. 22, issue 11, 874-885

Abstract: Volunteering positively impacts on life satisfaction and mental well-being over the deciles of the distribution for a sample of the British populace from 1996 to 2008 (BHPS data set); however, this effect is decreasing for those in the upper parts of the well-being distribution. This can be seen as support for the contention that volunteering can play a protective role for individuals and increase their well-being in the face of otherwise unsatisfactory life conditions. Looking at the effect on satisfaction with life domains, there is evidence for a positive impact of volunteering on satisfaction with health, one's social life and amount and use of leisure time.

Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2014.985364

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