Helping others helps teens too — volunteers were more likely to flourish and less likely to be anxious, via purpose and connection.
The situation, the move, the outcome.
National data found that teens who did community service in the past year were 66% more likely to be considered 'flourishing,' 35% less likely to have behavioral problems, and roughly 25% less likely to have anxiety than peers who didn't. Longitudinal research links adolescent volunteering to lower substance use, higher self-esteem and better academic outcomes. The mechanisms teens describe are purpose, connection, competence and feeling they're making a difference.
Why it matters beyond one family.
The benefit runs both ways: communities gain, and so do the young volunteers. Some researchers even propose adding volunteering as a component of treatment for adolescent depression.
How to apply it.
- Help your teen find service tied to something they genuinely care about.
- Frame it around purpose and connection, not résumé-building.
- Do some of it together to strengthen your bond at the same time.
Concrete next steps.
- Look for local causes, faith or community groups, or school service options.
- Start small and regular rather than one big one-off.
- Pair volunteering with other supports if your teen is struggling.
Read it for yourself.
- TIME — volunteering may boost kids' well-being time.com ↗
- PMC — volunteering, health and well-being of US children and adolescents pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- Frontiers — volunteering in treatment for adolescent depression frontiersin.org ↗
Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7) · Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) · Find a child psychiatrist at aacap.org · For immediate danger, call 911.