Psychological Health Outcomes of Older Adult Volunteers: Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

Abstract

Abstract Background Volunteering has been shown to alleviate the feeling of loneliness and have indirect positive effects on the subjective quality of life of older adults. Volunteering post-retirement has been shown to have a positive effect on loneliness, quality of life, and depression. This research aimed to examine the relationship between volunteering and depression, loneliness, and quality of life among a nationally representative sample of older adults in the Republic of Ireland. These measures were also examined in the context of volunteering and retirement. Methods Through secondary analysis of five waves of data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), this research explored the relationships between volunteering, retirement, loneliness, depression and quality of life. To achieve this, both cross-sectional analyses using regression models and longitudinal analysis using mixed-effects modelling were utilised. Results Volunteering had a significant negative association with loneliness [Incident Rate Ratio (IRR)=0.87, 95% CI=0.80,0.95, p<0.01] and depression [IRR=0.88, 95% CI=0.81, 0.96, p<0.01], and a positive association with quality of life [Beta (B)=0.69, 95% CI=0.39, 1.00, p<0.05] at baseline. These associations were not significant over time. Volunteering in retirement was associated with increased quality of life [B=0.7, 95% CI=0.2, 1.1, p<0.05], while associations between depression and loneliness and retirement were not significant. Those who volunteered in retirement experienced less depression over time [IRR=0.90, 95% CI=0.83, 0.99]. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate the positive effects of volunteering on the psychological outcomes of older adults. This study also found evidence of the long-term effects of volunteering in retirement on depression, suggesting that continued participation in volunteer activities positively impacts depression. This research demonstrates the importance of increasing opportunities and promoting volunteer participation to contribute to the positive ageing of older adults.