Kids who volunteer often flourish mentally and physically.
Selflessness may be the best way to help ourselves during adolescence, according to new research conducted at the University of Houston. Researchers found that young children and adolescents who volunteer tend to feel better both mentally and physically than many of their peers.
Parents whose kids were volunteering were also 33 percent more likely to report their child was in “very good” to “excellent” health in comparison to parents whose kids did not volunteer. Those same parents were also between 18 and 35 percent less likely to report their child experienced depression or anxiety, or had behavioral problems, over the prior year.
Additionally, both children and teens who volunteered were 66 percent more likely to be classified as “flourishing” – based on how parents answered questions covering their kids’ curiosity, willingness to complete tasks, and ability to stay calm in the face of challenges.