The contribution of volunteering to a healthier and happier - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The contribution

• f volunteering

to a healthier and happier Scotland

Matthew Linning

Scope…

 Context – population change  Contribution – volunteering, health & wellbeing  Participation – Scotland & Glasgow  Deprivation – the ‘Catch 22’  Conclusions

Demographic change

Source: Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2018

• 41,000

+102,000

• 60,000
• 30,000

30,000 60,000 90,000 120,000

16 - 64 years 65 years +

Projected change in no. of Scottish adult volunteers: 2017 - 2041

(- 5m hours p.a.) (+ 13m hours p.a.)

Projected change in Scottish population

Age Change in population 2017 - 2041 0 – 15

• 15,000

16 – 64

• 144,000

65+ +428,000

Contribution of volunteering to health & wellbeing

Volunteer Scotland’s report: ‘Volunteering, health & wellbeing’

Initial perceptions

• Volunteering is a ‘good thing’
• Good for beneficiaries and volunteers
• Positive health and wellbeing impacts
• More = better

Is this true?

• Are there benefits? Who benefits? Why do they benefit?
• Are there losers as well as winners?

Health & wellbeing benefits

Improved life expectancy  ? ?

Reduced/alleviated:

• Anxiety/stress
• Depression
• PTSD
• Learning

disabilities

Mental health Physical health

Benefits include:

• Active & fit
• Healthy behaviours
• Functional independ
• dence (older age)
• Coping with illness

‘Helper’s high’

Social connectedness:

• Meeting people
• Making friends
• Getting out of the

house

• Feeling you belong

Social isolation & loneliness

‘Helper’s high’

?

Does age matter?

• 16 – 24 year olds have

poorest mental health

• Loneliness is a significant

problem

• Volunteering important for

building social skills, social capital & confidence

• And…combatting mental

ill-health and loneliness

Younger Older

• 35 – 44 year olds have the

highest vol. rate = 33%

• Lack of evidence on +ve

health and wellbeing impacts

• Evidence of role strain
• Possible negative H&W

impacts from volunteering

• More research required
• Volunteering helps to

‘inoculate’ against ill- health

• Improving physical health
• Reducing social isolation

& loneliness

• Over 75s increasingly

become the beneficiaries

• f volunteering

‘Facilitators’ affecting H&W

• Dose-response effect – frequency and intensity of volunteering 
• Motivations – altruism vs. self-interest 
• Recognition – thanks, appreciation and recognition 
• Volunteer role – type of role, responsibilities, social engagement 

Possible adverse impacts

• Role strain and stress (multiple roles)
• Burnout (no. of hours volunteering)
• Physical health (esp. for older volunteers)
• Challenging /emotionally demanding roles

Possibility that H&W would improve if they stopped volunteering!

Age 60+ Age < 60

Volunteer Hours Life Satisfaction Van Willigen, M. (2000)

Volunteering participation

• Evidence from Scotland & Glasgow -

Health and volunteer participation

Source: Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2017 n = 9,670

31% 29% 25% 14% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Very good Good Fair Bad / Very Bad

Volunteer participation rate

General Health - Scotland

0.48 Million Adults 0.52 Million Adults 0.21 Million Adults 0.05 Million Adults 29% 29% 23%

Scottish Average 28% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

High Average Low

Volunteer participation rate

SWEMWBS

Mental Wellbeing

• Scotland

0.17 Million Adults 0.93 Million Adults 0.16 Million Adults

Volunteer participation in Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Sources: NHSGGC 2017/2018 Health & Wellbeing survey

21% 17%

NHSGGC Average, 18% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Yes No Volunteer participatin rate Do you ever feel isolated from family and friends?

Social Isolation

9% 21% 18%

NHSGGC Average 18% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% All of the time / often Some of the time Rarely / never Volunteer participation rate How often have you felt lonely in the past two weeks

Loneliness

n =7,834

Impact of deprivation

General Health – SIMD Q

Source: Scottish Household Survey (SHS) 2016 22% 23% 30% 34% 36% 12% 18% 25% 26% 31%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Very Good / Good Fair / Bad / Very Bad % Adults (16+)

Volunteer participation and General Health - SIMD Q

SIMD Q Average

Deprivation & mental health

Impact of deprivation on indicators of mental ill-health Indicators SIMD Quintile 1 (most deprived) SIMD Quintile 5 (least deprived) % difference % of adults aged 16+ GHQ-12: scoring 4

• r more

24% 14% 10% Depression – reporting 2 or more symptoms 20% 5% 15% Anxiety – reporting 2

• r more symptoms

17% 7% 10% Self-harm 10% 7% 3% Attempted suicide 12% 4% 8%

Source: Scottish Health Survey - 2017 edition – Volume 1, Main Report

The ‘Catch-22’

Health & Wellbeing Volunteering participation Impact on H & W High High Low Low Not disadvantaged & included Disadvantaged & excluded Many benefiting But…. Modest impact Few benefiting But…. High impact

Further information

Reports:

• The Contribution of Volunteering to Scotland's Health and Wellbeing – Volunteer Scotland, Oct 2019
• Volunteering, Health & Wellbeing - Full Report: Volunteer Scotland, Dec 2018
• Scottish Household Survey 2016 - Volunteering cross-sectional analysis – Volunteer Scotland,

Oct 2019

• Volunteering Trends in Scotland: Scottish Household Survey 2007 - 2017: Volunteer Scotland,

Jan 2019

• Young People Volunteering in Scotland, 2016: Volunteer Scotland, Jan 2017

Contact:

matthew.linning@volunteerscotland.org.uk www.volunteerscotland.org.uk

@VolScot