Volunteers’ Week runs from 1–7 June 2026, celebrating the contribution of volunteers across the UK. (volunteersweek.org) It is also a timely reminder that volunteering is not only good for communities. For many people, it can also be good for mental health.
Volunteering is a form of prosocial behaviour: doing something that benefits others. It may involve supporting a charity, helping at a community group, mentoring, befriending, fundraising, gardening, administration, advocacy or simply giving time to a cause that matters.
For people recovering from anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout or other mental health difficulties, volunteering can sometimes offer a gentle bridge back into routine, confidence and meaningful occupation.
Why volunteering can help mental health
Volunteering can provide:
Research suggests volunteering is associated with better mental wellbeing across the life course, with particularly clear benefits in later adulthood. A recent umbrella review also found reported benefits including improved quality of life, social support, empowerment, motivation and sense of community, while noting that evidence quality varies and not every benefit can be assumed to be directly caused by volunteering.
That balance matters. Volunteering is not a treatment in itself, and it should not replace therapy, medication or clinical care where these are needed. But as part of recovery, it can be deeply valuable.
Occupational recovery: more than returning to work
In mental health, recovery is not only about symptom reduction. It is also about rebuilding a life that feels meaningful.
Occupational recovery may include paid work, education, caring roles, creative activity, volunteering, community involvement or daily routines. NHS England guidance on community mental health rehabilitation recognises the importance of supporting people to access education, employment, meaningful leisure activities and relationships.
For some people, returning straight to paid employment is too much too soon. Volunteering can offer a graded step: real responsibility, but often with more flexibility, understanding and choice.
The importance of feeling valued
Many people who volunteer describe the experience as rewarding because they feel their contribution matters. This can be especially powerful for someone whose mental health difficulties have affected their confidence, identity or working life.
Mental illness can narrow a person’s world. Volunteering can widen it again.
It can help someone move from “I am a patient” or “I am off sick” towards “I am useful”, “I belong here”, or “I can contribute”.
A note of caution: volunteering should be sustainable
Volunteering is most helpful when it is realistic and boundaried. Taking on too much, too soon, can increase stress.
A healthy volunteering role should include:
For people recovering from burnout, trauma or severe depression, the right pace matters. Occupational recovery should be compassionate, not pressured.
Bloomfield Health’s perspective
At Bloomfield Health, we understand that recovery often involves more than clinical treatment. Psychiatric assessment can help clarify what is contributing to someone’s difficulties, what support may be needed, and how work, volunteering or other meaningful activity might fit into recovery.
For patients, families, employers and referrers, the key question is often not simply “Can this person work?” but “What kind of activity is safe, meaningful and sustainable at this stage?”
Volunteering can be one answer. For many people, it offers connection, purpose and the chance to rebuild confidence one step at a time.
Learn more: Contact Bloomfield Health to find out about private psychiatric assessments, occupational mental health reports and support with recovery planning.
We are registered by the Care Quality Commission (CQC),
the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
