Hong Kong study finds volunteer work cut loneliness in elderly people over coronavirus crisis and that seniors supported by them also benefited

• EdU and CityU research shows feelings of loneliness reduced among elderly volunteers and seniors helped endured less depression and anxiety
• Researchers say study shows volunteer work good for those who take part as well as those helped and peer support systems should be used in future health crises

A Hong Kong joint university study has found taking on voluntary work helped to reduce loneliness among elderly people over the coronavirus pandemic and that seniors supported by their peers displayed decreased levels of depression and anxiety.

Researchers from the Education University (EdU) and City University (CityU) on Wednesday said the research showed that volunteering was good for those who gave support as well as people they cared for and appealed to the government and social welfare organisations to use peer support systems in future health crises.

“Loneliness is a serious problem,” Chou Kee-lee, a professor in the EdU department of social sciences and policy studies, said. “Our study was to find a way to reduce the elderly’s feelings of loneliness.”

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He was speaking after the release of the study results, which signed up more than 1,500 older people to evaluate how psychological interventions eased feelings of loneliness among the elderly and boosted their well-being over the coronavirus crisis.

Elderly volunteers who helped other older people over the coronavirus crisis saw benefits to themselves, as well as those they cared for. Photo: Sam Tsang

The team, made up of Hong Kong researchers as well as experts from the US and Germany, carried out the study in two parts from 2021 to early 2023.

They recruited 375 residents aged 50 to 70 for the first part of the study to see whether volunteering could reduce loneliness, before they were randomly assigned to two groups.

One was given training workshops for six weeks before they started to provide volunteer services to the elderly for at least six months.

The other group was given the same amount of time, but devoted to psychological education training with no voluntary work.

Professor Dannii Yeung Yuen-lan, of the department of social and behavioural sciences at CityU, said those who took part in volunteer work showed a significant reduction in loneliness compared to the other group.

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“Those who took part in volunteering showed reduced feelings of loneliness, more social participation and support, and reduced mental stress and anxiety,” she added.

The second part of the study involved 1,151 seniors aged 65 and over who lived alone and had a monthly income of less than HK$4,500.

The participants were offered help from the people taking part in the volunteer activities in the first part of the study.

Researchers found, after six months, people who got help such as being taught to improve their concentration and join more activities reported fewer feelings of loneliness and improved sleep quality.

They also said they had reduced symptoms of depression as well as decreased anxiety levels compared with those who were only engaged in simple conversations with their peer volunteers.

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Associate professor Jiang Da, of EdU’s department of special education and counselling, said relatively young and capable seniors could increase their well-being and contribute to society in a crisis through voluntary work.

She added low-income seniors who were older and living alone could also benefit from peer support and asked authorities and service organisations to adopt the peer mutual support approach in future health crises.

“Society is ageing with a shrinking labour force,” Jiang said.

“We hope the authorities and relevant organisations can provide service opportunities for capable seniors to contribute to society, while those who are lonely and have limited resources can feel cared for through the influence of their peers.”

Hong Kong’s population is ageing rapidly. The number of elderly people aged 65 or over is expected to increase from the 1.45 million recorded in 2021 to 2.74 million by 2046, excluding foreign domestic helpers.

The 2046 figure means people aged 65 or above will make up 36 per cent of the city’s population – more than one in three of its residents.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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