Differences between older adult volunteers and non-volunteers in depression and self-efficacy

Abstract

High levels of self-efficacy are associated with successfully handling stressful situations and increased confidence and independence. This study explored whether self-efficacy was also related to volunteering among older adults. Levels of self-efficacy and depression were contrasted among 87 older volunteers and 84 non-volunteers on measures of self-efficacy, depression, years of education and age. The study hypothesis was that self-efficacy and depression would be the most salient measures in discriminating between volunteers and non-volunteers. The results found that self-efficacy, depression and age all discriminated significantly between volunteers and non-volunteers. The present study highlights the importance volunteering may have in fostering self-efficacy in older people, and while exploratory in nature, it has important implications for promoting independent functioning in later life and improving the quality of life of older people.