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The effect of time volunteering and charitable donations in later life on psychological wellbeing
- Authors:
- CHOI Namkee G., KIM Jinseok
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 31(4), May 2011, pp.590-610.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Time volunteering in later life has been found to have positive physical and mental health outcomes for older volunteers. Little research has been done on the effect of making charitable donations on older adults’ wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between time volunteering and charitable donations among older adults on the one hand and their individual psychological wellbeing on the other. Data for this study came from the first and second waves of Midlife Development in the United States survey (MIDUS, 1995–1996 and MIDUS II, 2004–2006). The sample consisted of 917 respondents who completed both waves of the survey, and were aged 55-84 at the time they completed MIDUS II. The study examined whether time volunteering and charitable donations measured 9 years earlier by MIDUS had a positive direct effect on psychological wellbeing among individuals measured by MIDUS II. The findings showed that a moderate amount of up to 10 hours monthly of time volunteering and any amount of charitable donations had a direct positive effect on psychological wellbeing 9 years later. The findings also showed a greater effect on psychological wellbeing of any amount of charitable donations than of any amount of time volunteering, although the extent of the effect of both time volunteering and charitable donations was small.