Altruism and Health

Abstract

The links between prosocial action and health in adolescence have not been a central area of inquiry in the social sciences. Nevertheless, there is a growing body of literature that provides some hint about this intersection. This is partly due to the relatively recent national interest in volunteerism and the forms of it mandated or encouraged by school districts. And a voluminous body of research has documented the relationship of these programs to various indicators of adolescent well-being. Complementing this wave of research is an assortment of studies looking at other forms of adolescent engagement in actions variously labelled as prosocial behaviour, generosity, or altruism. In exploring the linkages between these behaviours and health, this chapter defines adolescent health, synthesizes the published literature, explores a large data set on 6th- to 12th-grade students to address additional empirical issues, and finally recommends new lines of inquiry needed to advance knowledge about the altruism and health relationship.