Besides making you feel good, volunteering can improve your mental health and increase your life. While reviewing 40 academic papers in UK researchers found that volunteers had lower levels of depression and high well-being and satisfaction in life. Although, this has yet to be confirmed in trials. It was less likely for the volunteers to die within four to seven years.

It is believed that volunteering is good for physical health of older people as it encourages them to stay more active and spend time outside home. Benefits are also experienced by the young people. According to a US study, volunteering is linked with improved cardiovascular health.

The motives behind volunteering include “giving something back to the community”.

22.5 percent of people in Europe devote time in volunteering as compared to 27 percent Americans and 36 percent Australians.

According to researchers, volunteering is related to improvement of mental health but more research needs to be done on relation between the two. Carnegie Mellon University conducted a research in which study was done on the improvement of heart health due to volunteering.