A few of the many emails that land in my inbox come from Scientific American, a monthly journal of popular science. I gave today’s message extra attention. This was one section:
A Helping Hand
A 2023 analysis of 50,000 children and adolescents found that young people who had participated in community service or had volunteered over the previous 12 months were more likely to be in very good or excellent health and stayed calm when faced with challenges. Teenagers were less likely to be anxious. A small study of 14- to 20-year-olds with mild to moderate depression or anxiety showed a 19 percent reduction of their symptoms after 30 hours of volunteering.
Why this matters: Rates of childhood and teenage depression and anxiety have gone up at an alarming rate. The proportion of young people reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness had increased by 40 percent over the previous decade.
What the experts say: Helping others improves mood and raises self-esteem. It provides fertile ground for building social connections. Many teens say they don’t feel important, says Parissa Ballard, a developmental psychologist at Wake Forest. “Volunteering can give people a different sense of themselves, a sense of confidence and efficacy
I suspect that if researchers did a similar analysis of elders, they would reach the same conclusions. Participation in useful activities and making regular social contacts is necessary for good mental and physical health. Without those, depression and anxiety may increase.
I talk regularly with seniors who are active every day. Some continue to work in jobs long after the traditional retirement age. Heck, my life partner is in her 56th year of working as an RN in Vancouver hospitals.
On the weekend, we attended a United Church where an elder, a friend from university days, was presenting a sermon. We then attended a lecture that featured Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, a man who has served more than fifty years as an Indigenous leader.
We have a neighbour who is in her 90s. She recently gave a classical piano concert for friends. A “retired” teacher, she provides language training assistance to new Canadians.
Engagement with issues and service to the community is important for young people; it is equally important for old people. According to medical research, active minds help thinking skills stay reasonably intact.
Science tells us why:
New research shows that the brain is more like a muscle – it changes and gets stronger when you use it. Scientists have been able to show how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn.
Everyone knows that when you lift weights, your muscles get bigger and you get stronger. A person who can’t lift 20 pounds when they start exercising can get strong enough to lift 100 pounds after working out for a long time. Muscles become larger and stronger with exercise. When you stop exercising, muscles shrink and you get weaker. That’s why people say “use it or lose it.”
Most people don’t know that when they practice and learn new things, parts of their brain change and get larger just like muscles. This is true even for adults. So, it’s not true that some people “just can’t learn”. You can improve your abilities as long as you practice and use good strategies.
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Categories: Health
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