The thought of vacation usually conjures up images of exotic resorts, perhaps a couple of good books, and some significant lolling. So what about restoring marine life to its natural habitat, or perhaps building a structure in the middle of some wild land? Not quite the image you had in mind? Volunteer vacations are what these adventures are called, and not only do participants feel good about donating their time, it turns out that there are some surprising health benefits as well.

 

Volunteerism

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 60 million people performed some kind of volunteer work last year. Of this number women were more likely than men to volunteer, and individuals between 35-54 years old made up the largest group. Each volunteer donated an average of 52 hours in activities like fundraising, coaching, teaching, serving food, providing information, and general labor.

Volunteering has even become hip. There has been a trend among college students to spend their Spring Break building houses for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that provides housing for poor families.

With 26% of the population helping others, there must be something to all this giving.

Creating a Sense of Well-Being

It seems intuitive that helping others would make you feel good, but what about actual health benefits? Studies have shown that volunteering can play a role in increasing your overall sense of well-being, alleviating chronic pain, and even reducing depression.

In a study led by Peggy Thoits, Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University, data was used from the Americans’ Changing Lives Study to examine how volunteering affected six different aspects of well-being.

The study divided the 3,617 respondents into two groups, those who volunteered and those who did not. Comparisons were then made for levels of happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and depression.

Thoits found that “people who were in better physical and mental health were more likely to volunteer, and conversely that volunteer work was good for both mental and physical health. People of all ages who volunteered were happier and experienced better physical health and less depression.”

Helping Chronic Pain

In another study, Paul Arnstein of Boston College and his colleagues evaluated the effects of volunteering on chronic pain patients. Pain, disability, self-efficacy (degree of confidence in the ability to control pain), and depression were all measured.

Their findings show that pain, depression, and disability decreased after volunteering, while self-efficacy remained stable. Several months later, the researchers found that the improvements continued without harm, suggesting that volunteering may help alleviate chronic pain. The researchers note that the participants reported themes of “making a connection” and having “a sense of purpose” when volunteering.

Lowering Depression

Researchers Marc Musick and John Wilson of the University of Texas at Austin, studied whether volunteering had any effect on depression. Like Thoits, they took data from the Americans' Changing Lives survey, but looked at three different years of data. They found that initially volunteering lowered depression for those over 65, and over time benefited all age groups. The researchers note that some of the protection from depression came from the social integration of volunteering.

Volunteer Vacations

If you decided to volunteer on your next vacation, consider the following points:

• Location: Some people choose a location close to home or within the country, while others want to go abroad.
• Type of challenge: There are many types of challenges ranging from physically grueling to intellectually stimulating. You’ll have to decide which is best for you.
• Your skills: Your professional skills may be in great demand in less developed countries. Helping others may also help to prevent job burnout and improve job satisfaction.
• Language: If contemplating travel to a foreign country, take into consideration the language spoken and your ability to communicate.
• Length of time: Most volunteer vacations run from 1-3 weeks. Decide how much time you can donate.
• Free time: Ask the organization you are volunteering for about their policy on free time. Will you have time to go off on your own and explore?

To view different opportunities, you can start by looking at the International Volunteer Programs Association, which lists different volunteer organizations. Some popular programs include:

• The Earthwatch Institute offers trips to remote locations where scientific research is performed from filming dolphins to testing water to gathering nutritional information.
• The American Hiking Society offers trips from Maine to Alaska where participants rebuild footpaths, cabins, and shelters.
• Wilderness Volunteers work with public land agencies like the Forest Service to preserve and clear wild lands.
• Passport In Time centers its vacations on archaeological excavations and preserving historical structures.
• The Sierra Club works on a variety of tasks, from observing marine life to maintaining vulnerable wilderness areas.

RESOURCES:

International Volunteers Programs Association
http://www.volunteerinternational.org

United Nations Volunteers
http://www.unv.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Volunteer Canada
http://www.volunteer.ca/

Volunteer Toronto
http://volunteertoronto.ca/

References:

Arnstein P, Vidal M, Wells-Federman C, et al. From chronic pain patient to peer: benefits and risks of volunteering. Pain Management Nursing . 2002;3:94-103.

Musick MA, Wilson J. Volunteering and depression: the role of psychological and social resources in different age groups. Social Science & Medicine . 2003;56:259-69.

Thoits PA, Hewitt LN. Volunteer work and well-being. Journal of Health and Social Behavior . 2001;42:115-131.

Volunteering in the United States, 2007. United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm. Published January 2008. Accessed June 17, 2008.

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