Thy will be done: Exploring the longitudinal rewards of religious group membership enactment during volunteering

Identity enactment as a social accomplishment: Shared identity and the provision of mutual support amongst pilgrims undertaking the Hajj

Experimental and survey research shows that a common group membership can result in increased levels of social support. Here we complement such research with qualitative data concerning the forms and function of such support. Specifically, we explore the mutual support reported by pilgrims undertaking the Hajj. This requires participants enact a series of identity-related beliefs and values (including specific rituals) in conditions that are practically and psychologically challenging. Using data obtained through semi-structured interviews (N = 33), we investigate how participants' shared identity facilitated their behavioural enactment of these identity-defining beliefs and values. We focus on how their shared understanding of their beliefs and values as Hajj pilgrims allowed various forms of support (psychological, material, informational, and behavioural) which helped participants translate their identity-related ideals into behaviour. Our analysis implies that a shared identity provides a frame of reference with which group members can recognize each other's identity-related concerns and what they need in order to enact their identity. In turn, it implies that in situations where there are practical and psychological constraints on behaviour, action in terms of one's social identity can be conceptualized as a joint accomplishment in which the mutual support of group members is key.

Older Taiwanese Volunteers as Standardized Patients: Service Motivation, Identity Formation, and Internal Transformation

INTRODUCTION

Most standardized patients (SPs) in Taiwan are middle-aged or older volunteers with a high retention rate and selflessly devote themselves to the service. This study explored the psychological process behind the continued altruistic behaviors of SPs to understand the formation of service motivation, professional identity, and internal transformation.

METHODS

Sixteen volunteers, aged 50 to 70 years, who served as SPs for 3 to 11 years in a religious hospital were enrolled in this study. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted. Each person was interviewed for approximately 120 minutes. We used a thematic analysis to analyze the interview transcripts.

RESULTS

We identified 3 major themes and 8 subthemes. The first theme, SPs' service motivation, included the following 3 subthemes: past medical experiences, acquisition of medical knowledge, and emotional connections. The second theme, SPs' identity formation, included the following 3 subthemes: role recognition, work ethic, and a sense of religious mission. The third theme, SPs' physical and psychological support, included 2 subthemes: internal transformation and personal well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

The interview results showed doctor-patient or life experiences served as the impetus prompting SPs to engage in such altruistic behavior. In addition, identity formation endowed older SPs with a life purpose and a sense of fulfillment and self-actualization through fostering and training medical students. In addition, a clear recognition of the role of an SP and self-worth helped volunteers mitigate any physical and mental problems caused by negative life experiences. Standardized patients continued to complete their tasks with a positive attitude.

Exploring the Effects of Volunteering on the Social, Mental, and Physical Health and Well-being of Volunteers: An Umbrella Review

Volunteering provides unique benefits to organisations, recipients, and potentially the volunteers themselves. This umbrella review examined the benefits of volunteering and their potential moderators. Eleven databases were searched for systematic reviews on the social, mental, physical, or general health benefits of volunteering, published up to July 2022. AMSTAR 2 was used to assess quality and overlap of included primary studies was calculated. Twenty-eight reviews were included; participants were mainly older adults based in the USA. Although overlap between reviews was low, quality was generally poor. Benefits were found in all three domains, with reduced mortality and increased functioning exerting the largest effects. Older age, reflection, religious volunteering, and altruistic motivations increased benefits most consistently. Referral of social prescribing clients to volunteering is recommended. Limitations include the need to align results to research conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic. (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022349703).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11266-023-00573-z.