Volunteering and life satisfaction: a closer look at the hypothesis that volunteering more strongly benefits the unhappy

Volunteering positively impacts on life satisfaction and mental well-being over the deciles of the distribution for a sample of the British populace from 1996 to 2008 (BHPS data set); however, this effect is decreasing for those in the upper parts of the well-being distribution. This can be seen as support for the contention that volunteering can play a protective role for individuals and increase their well-being in the face of otherwise unsatisfactory life conditions. Looking at the effect on satisfaction with life domains, there is evidence for a positive impact of volunteering on satisfaction with health, one’s social life and amount and use of leisure time.