Abstract
Volunteering, or taking part in unpaid work for the benefit of others, can be a powerful positive experience with returns to both individual well-being and community projects. Volunteering is positively associated with mental health in observational studies with community samples but has not been systematically examined as a potential part of treatment interventions with clinical adolescent samples. In this manuscript, we review the empirical evidence base connecting volunteerism to mental health and well-being, outline potential mechanisms based in the theoretical literature from developmental science, and discuss the existing clinical approaches that support community volunteering as a part of treatment. Drawing on this review, we propose that including volunteering as a component of clinical treatment approaches for adolescent depression can be a powerful intervention for adolescents.
Highlights
Affective disorders, such as depression, increase during adolescence (Beesdo et al, 2009) and initial episodes peak between the ages of 14 and 24 (Kessler et al, 2001) influencing wellbeing over the life course (Lewandowski et al, 2013)
The present manuscript summarizes and applies ideas from developmental science, in particular, as we propose volunteering as a potentially powerful part of clinical treatment for adolescent mood disorders such as depression
We suggest that volunteering might be effectively applied as part of comprehensive approaches to treating affective disorders among adolescents receiving clinical treatment
Summary
Affective disorders, such as depression, increase during adolescence (Beesdo et al, 2009) and initial episodes peak between the ages of 14 and 24 (Kessler et al, 2001) influencing wellbeing over the life course (Lewandowski et al, 2013). We review the empirical evidence connecting volunteerism to mental health, outline potential mechanisms based in developmental science, and discuss the existing clinical approaches that support community volunteering as a part of treatment. Community volunteering can provide meaningful social role opportunities that offer teens a chance to build skills and feel competent (Moore and Allen, 1996; Ryan and Deci, 2000) which may shape positive self-concepts, especially benefiting young people with depression (Beck, 1967). Volunteering might play a role in preventive interventions to support adolescents’ positive mental health, such as those delivered in school or community settings rather than in clinical offices. Volunteerism should not be considered by itself as treatment for depression; the comprehensive approach suggested – adding volunteering alongside treatment as usual – offers a way to mitigate downsides in a safe setting
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