Effect of Volunteering on Perceived Health of Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

Background/Purpose. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have significantly poorer health and higher mortality rates than the general U.S. population. Additionally, individuals with SMI face considerable barriers to accessing and utilizing health care services. Literature suggests that non-medical strategies, including use of peer support specialists and social networks, is correlated with improved self-reported health status. Such strategies can supplement health care provision to improve quality of life. While volunteerism has been found to be associated with improved health status for other populations, little is known about the relationship between volunteerism and perceived health status for individuals with SMI. This study examined effects of volunteering on perceived health status among people with SMI.

Methods. Data were drawn from the 2014 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), which includes a random sample that was surveyed via phone interviews. Sample of the current study included adults with SMI (N=1127), who were identified by the Kessler 6 (K6). Perceived general health status served as the dependent variable and was assessed via a single-item measure in which participants rated their health status on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = poor; 5 = excellent). The key independent variable was volunteerism, which was assessed via a dichotomous question inquiring about whether participants engaged in volunteer or community service during the past year. Covariates included demographic characteristics: age, gender, race, educational attainment, marital status, and poverty status. To examine the extent to which volunteering is associated with perceived health status among people with SMI, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model was conducted. To account for the CHIS’s complex sampling designs, all data analyses were conducted using the survey procedures of SAS, version 9.4.

Results. Approximately 42% of the sample reported engaging in volunteer work or community activities during the past year. Slightly more than half (53%) reported their health status to be good, very good, or excellent. OLS regression analysis found an overall significant model with the set of independent variables explaining 23% of variance in perceived health status. Engaging in volunteerism positively correlated with perceived health status (b=.30, p<.03). Additionally, being younger (b=.02, p<.001), non-Hispanic white (b=-2.22, p<.05), and higher educational attainment (b=-.30, p <.05) each correlated with better perceived health status. Finally, living in poverty was negatively correlated to perceived health status (b=.24, p<.05).

Conclusions and Implications. These findings represent the first known study to examine the role of volunteerism on health status among individuals with SMI. Findings suggest that engaging in volunteerism might be one strategy to strengthening perceived health status for this population. Social workers serving individuals with SMI might inquire about volunteer activities when conducting assessments with this population. Further, social workers should work with individuals to identify volunteer opportunities that are a good fit. Finally, social workers should educate individuals with SMI about the relationship between volunteering and perceived health, as a means of empowering clients to become more active in volunteering and improving their well-being.