The NY Times had an interesting piece yesterday on the health benefits of volunteering.
They cite Stephen Post’s work, which I have discussed earlier, but also notes a 2002 Boston College study (Paul Arnstein et al.) and a California Buck Institute for Age Research study (Doug Oman et al.).
The article discusses several studies that suggest that the causal pathway may run through lower stress and a “helper’s high”.
See the underlying article: “In Month of Giving, a Healthy Reward” (NYT, Science Times, Tara Parker-Pope, 12/1/09)
