Abstract
Purpose. As unemployment has serious negative health, health behavior and well-being consequences, we deem it crucial to investigate potential mitigating factors for one’s health, health behavior and well-being in times of unemployment. By juxtaposing a psychosocial (substituting latent functions of employment) and materialistic (not substituting manifest functions of employment) pathway, we introduce voluntary work as such a mitigating factor.
Design/Methodology. Using data from the 2010 and 2012 wave of a Swedish nationally representative longitudinal cohort survey we followed individuals who were continuously 1) unemployed and volunteering (N = 58), 2) unemployed and not volunteering (N = 194), 3) employed and volunteering (N = 139), and 4) employed and not volunteering (N = 326). A path analysis was conducted using Mplus.
Results. Results indicated that volunteering in times of unemployment significantly decreased the likelihood to smoke, the amount of cigarettes smoked, the likelihood to consume alcohol and the likelihood to be diagnosed with hypertension; supporting a psychosocial pathway. For all other indicators no buffering effect was obtained; supporting a materialistic pathway.
Limitations. We did not explicitly measure the extent to which one felt that (s)he was deprived from the latent or manifest functions of employment.
Research/Practical implications. Voluntary organizations are recommended to highlight the various appeal of volunteering as both organizations (e.g., contributing to society) and volunteers (e.g., less substance abuse) benefit from volunteering in times of unemployment.
Originality/Value. The study investigated whether the potential protective effect of volunteering in times of unemployment is specific to particular dimensions of health, health behavior and well-being or an overall effect.
Design/Methodology. Using data from the 2010 and 2012 wave of a Swedish nationally representative longitudinal cohort survey we followed individuals who were continuously 1) unemployed and volunteering (N = 58), 2) unemployed and not volunteering (N = 194), 3) employed and volunteering (N = 139), and 4) employed and not volunteering (N = 326). A path analysis was conducted using Mplus.
Results. Results indicated that volunteering in times of unemployment significantly decreased the likelihood to smoke, the amount of cigarettes smoked, the likelihood to consume alcohol and the likelihood to be diagnosed with hypertension; supporting a psychosocial pathway. For all other indicators no buffering effect was obtained; supporting a materialistic pathway.
Limitations. We did not explicitly measure the extent to which one felt that (s)he was deprived from the latent or manifest functions of employment.
Research/Practical implications. Voluntary organizations are recommended to highlight the various appeal of volunteering as both organizations (e.g., contributing to society) and volunteers (e.g., less substance abuse) benefit from volunteering in times of unemployment.
Originality/Value. The study investigated whether the potential protective effect of volunteering in times of unemployment is specific to particular dimensions of health, health behavior and well-being or an overall effect.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | 17th EAWOP Congress |
| Publication status | Published - 20 May 2015 |
| Event | 17th congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology - Oslo, Norway Duration: 20 May 2015 → 23 May 2015 |
Conference
| Conference | 17th congress of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology |
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| Country/Territory | Norway |
| City | Oslo |
| Period | 20/05/15 → 23/05/15 |