Volunteering as a tool for improving the health of seniors
Authors:
J. Šimek 1; H. Záškodná 2
Authors‘ workplace:
Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, Ústav humanitních studií v pomáhajících profesích (UHP), Ředitelka: Mgr. Vlastimila Ptáčníková, Ph. D.
1; Filozofická fakulta UK v Praze, Katedra andragogiky a personálního řízení, Vedoucí: PhDr. Mgr. Renata Kocianová, Ph. D.
2
Published in:
Prakt. Lék. 2019; 99(6): 262-266
Category:
Of different specialties
Overview
Authors give essential information about recent research in the area of altruism and prosocial behaviour. Results of research support contribution of these attitudes and behaviours to somatic health. Positive psychology discovers mechanisms which raise resistance of humans in stress. They are ability to understand the situation, to cope with it and to find some sense. Also existence of social support and positive attitudes of the individual toward people around them have some importance. In sociologic and psychologic research different types of altruistic behaviour were identified and concept of prosocial personality was constructed. Volunteering is well defined way of prosocial behaviour and plenty of people take part in it. Therefore volunteers became a good subject for research in prosocial behaviour. There were addressed questions why people enter volunteering and what impact in the process have personalities of volunteers. Needs of potential volunteers and social situations which they meet were also studied. In the research the benefit of volunteering for health of volunteers was proved. Volunteering is related with longer life of volunteers. It was proved their lower mortality rate. Volunteering have also positive impact on somatic health. It was proved mainly on the basis of subjective assessment of health condition.
Keywords:
altruism – prosocial behaviour – volunteering – salutogenesis
Sources
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General practitioner for children and adolescents General practitioner for adultsArticle was published in
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