Who may benefit (and who may not) from active ageing? Empirical evidence from European older caregivers, volunteers, and super-helpers

BackgroundAgainst the backdrop of the multidimensionality of the active ageing concept, caregiving and volunteering are recognized as two important domains. Although active ageing is in general considered a preventive tool conducive to positive health outcomes, there is a paucity of studies on health characteristicsoutcomes regarding older adults who are both caregivers and volunteers, by considering their transitions into and from this “double social role”. This is even more so when it comes to studies employing a longitudinal approach. The study investigates, longitudinally, transitions of older Europeans into and from the social role of super-helper (i.e., both caregiver and volunteer) in relation to health-related aspects.MethodsRelying on data from Waves 7, 8, and 9 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we run regression models to examine the ways changes over time in caregiving, volunteering, and super-helping are associated with chronic conditions, depressive symptoms, and self-perceived health.ResultsThe main results evidenced that, transitions from (only) caregiving to super-helping from only caregiving are associated with better health characteristics, while from only volunteering with worse ones. Also, while transitions from super-helping to caregiving are associated with better health characteristics, those ones to volunteering are associated with worse health characteristics. Would be beneficial to co-resident caregivers in terms of fewer depressive symptoms, and that transitions from super-helping into (only) volunteering, in the short-run, may negatively a ffect depressive symptoms (in the case of former co-resident caregivers) and self-perceived health. Volunteering can complement and integrate caregiving through education and training initiatives as well as awareness-raising campaigns, provided that respite care protects older adults against the risks of overburdening. Voluntary organizations should also provide psychological support for older adults who cease caregiving.