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Volunteers typically offer their time and services in an effort to help others, but researchers believe volunteering has a profound effect on individuals who lend a hand, particularly when those pitching in are children and teenagers. A 2023 study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that volunteering is associated with improved overall health and wellness among children and adolescents. Researchers behind the study found that children who volunteered were 34 percent more likely to be in excellent or very good health compared to peers who did not volunteer. In addition, 66 percent of child and adolescent volunteers were more likely to be seen as “flourishing” and 35 percent were less likely to develop behavioral problems compared to their peers who did not volunteer. These findings are nothing to scoff at, as mental health issues continue to affect young people at rates that many find alarming. For example, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates nearly one in three girl high school students considered suicide in 2021. Though additional research into a potential link between volunteering and improved mental health among modern adolescents is necessary, it’s worth nothing that studies have long since determined that volunteering is good for volunteers’ mental health, with volunteers often reporting greater life satisfaction than individuals who do not volunteer. GB24C455