Kids who volunteer less likely to have mental health issues later

Parents should encourage their pre-teen kids to volunteer at their school or local sporting club. It’s not just a good thing to do. It’s a buffer against mental illness in their teens, a new study shows.

Children who volunteer at school or a sporting club before they turn 13 are almost 30 per cent less likely to have poor mental health in their teen years a new study shows.

Children who volunteer before they turn 13 are almost 30 per cent less likely to have poor mental health in their teenage years, a new study shows.

And the chances of pre-teens who engage in “prosocial behaviours” such as caring for others or doing kind deeds going on to experience mental ill-health is 11 per cent lower than kids who don’t, the study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies reveals.

The research, part of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children tracking 10,000 children since 2003, should prompt parents to encourage their children to volunteer in the community even before they hit teenage-hood, AIFS researcher Karlee O’Donnell says.

“Volunteering is one way for children to develop their prosocial skills as it provides the opportunity to care for others, show kindness and learn to take on others’ perspectives,” Ms O’Donnell said.

“This study shows the tremendous benefits of volunteering for reducing the risk of mental ill-health – especially in the pre-teen years when mental health symptoms often come to the fore for children or become worse.”

The study “Prosocial behaviours and the positive impact on mental health”, followed children from age four through to 17, examining the effect of their volunteering and other acts of caring on their mental health.

It notes that poor mental health in children generally increases with age, with a substantial increase between 13 and 17.

The report finds that by the age of 12 about 50 per cent of children participate in at least one type of volunteering activity, with mental ill-health significantly less prevalent among those who do.

“The predominant forms of volunteering for young people were with sporting clubs and their school,” it says, though other forms include community and church groups, working bees, environmental activities and music or other cultural volunteering.

“It’s the act of helping others in the wider community, and building empathy and understanding, that is a critical protective factor against mental ill-health,” Ms O’Donnell said.

The report finds the earlier a child starts to develop what it calls a “prosocial orientation”, the greater the positive impact on their mental health. That could flow through into benefits for the nation’s health budget.

“Given the sustained number of young people who are presenting with elevated mental health symptoms, teaching children to be prosocial and kind at an early age and providing them with opportunities to volunteer in civic and social settings may help to reduce the growing burden on the health system,” the report says.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the research was proof of the value of volunteering.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

“Lots of young people give up their time to improve the environment or their community (and) this research demonstrates that volunteering can also bring tremendous benefit to volunteers themselves,” she said.