Formal volunteering as a protective factor for older adults' psychological well-being.
OBJECTIVE
Guided by interactional role theory and employing a resilience framework, this study aimed to investigate whether formal volunteering protects older adults with more role-identity absences in major life domains (partner, employment, and parental) from poorer psychological well-being.


METHODS
We used data from 373 participants, aged 65-74, in the 1995 National Survey of Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS). Multivariate regression models estimated the effects of major role-identity absences, formal volunteering, and the interaction between major role-identity absences and volunteering on respondents' negative affect, positive affect, and purpose in life.


RESULTS
Participants with a greater number of major role-identity absences reported more negative affect, less positive affect, and less purpose in life. Being a formal volunteer was associated with more positive affect and moderated the negative effect of having more major role-identity absences on respondents' feelings of purpose in life.


CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with previous studies, findings indicate that having more role-identity absences constitutes a risk factor for poorer psychological well-being. Results further demonstrate that being a formal volunteer can protect older adults with a greater number of major role-identity absences from decreased levels of purpose in life. The findings suggest that associations between volunteering and psychological well-being might be contingent upon the volunteer's role-identity status and the dimension of psychological well-being examined.
Greenfield
Emily A
EA
Human Development and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin, 1430 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA. eagreenfield@wisc.edu
Marks
Nadine F
NF
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007063:Identity Crisis; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*