H elping others benefits more than just the people receiving the assistance. Research confirms that volunteers derive emotional and physical benefits from their efforts.

In 1988, while serving as executive director of the Institute for the Advancement of Health, I conducted one of the first of these studies.

Like many long-time volunteers, I’d noticed that during -- and for hours after -- my stints helping others, I felt full of energy. This was the case even after assignments that might sound draining, such as helping out overnight in a homeless shelter.

To find out just how prevalent this reaction was, my colleagues and I surveyed 3,300 volunteers nationwide. We asked how often they volunteered and what their health was like before and after they began helping.

What we found: Ninety-five percent of those who did charitable work at least once a week reported experiencing a “helper’s high.” And 90% of them rated their health as better than similar people who didn’t volunteer -- and better since they started volunteering.

CRUCIAL FACTORS

In our study, the frequency of helping others proved crucial. Once-a-week volunteers were 10 times more likely to report good health than people who volunteered once a year or less.

Even people with arthritis, headaches, back pain or another chronic condition reported significant relief from pain and discomfort while they were helping.

Volunteering acted like a natural painkiller, reducing their awareness of symptoms.

Besides volunteering at least once a week, those who reported significant health benefits...

... worked with strangers. Helping family or friends had little impact on the health of the helper.

... had personal contact with the people they helped. They did not simply write a check or sort mail.

Where the volunteers worked didn’t seem to matter. Residents of big cities, small towns and Indian reservations all reported health benefits.

Nor did it matter whether they read to blind people, coached Little League, etc. As long as they gave hands-on help to people outside their usual circle -- and did so at least once a week -- their sense of well-being increased.

OTHER STUDIES

My study looked only at the way people perceived the health benefits of volunteering. But our findings have been corroborated again and again by research involving objective measures.

Cornell study. Phyllis Moen, PhD, a Cornell University sociologist, looked at the health and longevity of 427 women in 1956 and again in 1986. She found that the healthiest women were those who had multiple roles in life... and belonged to volunteer organizations.

Harvard study. David McClelland, PhD, a psychologist now at Boston University, found that watching a movie about Mother Teresa raised bloodstream levels of immunoglobulin, an immune system component thought to protect against colds and influenza.

THE HELPING-HEALTH LINK

Volunteering boosts well-being by reducing psychological stress... and releasing opioids. Those are the same “feel-good” brain chemicals thought to underlie the “runner’s high” felt by many long-distance runners.

Bowling Green study. Studies by Jaak Panksepp, PhD, a Bowling Green State University research professor of psychobiology, suggest that dogs experience high levels of opioids in their brains when they bond with humans.

Perhaps humans who help others bond in a similar fashion, stimulating opioid release. It may also be that helping others serves as a form of relaxation.

Regular helpers have reported a number of sensations in connection with helping others -- including calmness, physical warmth and enhanced self-esteem. Each is thought to be associated with decreased stress. That, in turn, has been linked to enhanced immunity.

These findings have prompted some doctors to “prescribe” volunteering to people suffering from stress or chronic pain.

BECOMING A VOLUNTEER

Get personal. Certainly there’s value in holding a fund-raiser or donating clothes. Charitable organizations depend upon that kind of assistance.

But to reap the greatest benefits for yourself, find a type of volunteering that brings you in close personal contact with others.

Find the right fit. Many people who try volunteering quickly wind up feeling discouraged or bored. If you do, it doesn’t mean you’re not cut out to help. Perhaps you were in a helping situation that wasn’t right for you.

Look for an opportunity that matches your personality and interests. Ask yourself which causes matter most to you... and what kinds of people you most enjoy spending time with.

Maybe you have a special feeling for people with a certain illness that you or someone you know has battled... illiterate adults... or troubled teens.

Once you find “your” issue, consult the phone book. In the white pages under your chosen cause (such as “Tutoring” or “Multiple Sclerosis”), you’ll find several nonprofit organizations that could use your help.

Also helpful: Clearinghouses. Nearly every major city has a referral center for volunteers. These are usually listed in the Yellow Pages as the “Volunteer Center” or “Voluntary Action Center” for that city.

Avoid burnout. Pushing yourself too hard will increase stress rather than relieve it. Volunteering through an organization, rather than on your own, can help prevent burnout by providing training, advice and a structure for helping.