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Volunteering and Self-Enhancement
Theme: Volunteering provides volunteers with opportunities to
enhance their employability, self-esteem, personal coping skills and resources,
all of which have health benefits.
Self-Enhancement and Health
- By self-enhancement, we refer to a person's sense of confidence, self-esteem
and belief in their abilities, which are related to one's resources,
skill development and learning.
- People with a strong sense of their own effectiveness, coping abilities,
and social usefulness, and who are socially active, tend to have better
health, lower mortality, and healthier lifestyles.
- Self-esteem and confidence are related to reduced blood pressure and
improved immune function.
- Multiple roles also enhance health and longevity: for example, occupying
the roles or identities of worker, wife, mother, friend, volunteer,
and club member increases social integration and personal resources,
and aids in coping with stress.
- People who are unemployed tend to suffer from more health problems.
Volunteering and Self-Enhancement
- Three-quarters of volunteers surveyed in the National Survey of Giving,
Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP) reported gaining interpersonal
skills; volunteers also developed communication, organizational and
managerial skills.
- Youth most often volunteer to improve job opportunities (54%) and
explore their own abilities (68%). Benefits for youth in terms of enhanced
confidence and self-esteem through skill development are particularly
important.
- Gerard's recent European research found that those who leave school
early or come from disadvantaged backgrounds, yet volunteer, show levels
of psychological well-being equal to educated, professional non-volunteers.
- Volunteers often report a "helper's high": a physical and
psychological "feel-good" sensation linked to physiological
changes.
- Volunteering enhances health because it provides an additional role
or identity: individuals with many interests and roles have increased
well-being.
SOURCES
Moen, P. et al. (1989). "Social integration and longevity: an event
history analysis of women's roles and resilience," American Sociological
Review, 54(Aug): 635-647.
Statistics Canada. (1998). "Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians:
highlights from the 1997 NSGVP." 71-542-XPE.
Graff, L. (1991). "Volunteer for the Health of It." Volunteer
Ontario.
Gerard, D. (1985). "What makes a volunteer?" New Society, (8
Nov): 236-238.
Dreher, H. (1996). The Immune Power Personality. New York: Penguin Books.
National Advisory Council on Aging (1999). "1999 and Beyond: challenges
of an aging Canadian society."
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