Has there ever been a cause you’d like to get more involved in — but you couldn’t find the time? You may regret putting this one off if the results of a new study hold true.

Volunteering, according to new research published in the journal BMJ Open, is increasingly being linked to good mental health and emotional well-being as we age. The benefits were most significant for those over age 40.

“Volunteering may provide a sense of purpose, particularly for those who have lost their earnings,” said researchers.

British researchers analyzed the responses of adults living in 5,000 households who had taken part in the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) between 1991 and 2008. The survey examined leisure time activities, which covered the frequency of formal volunteering — from at least once a week through to once a year or less, or never.

Around one in five respondents (21 percent) said they had volunteered. Women tended to volunteer more than men, and while almost a quarter of those aged 60 to 74 said they volunteered, the proportion dropped to 17 percent among the youngest age group.

Scores for emotional well-being and mental health were better among those who volunteered than among those who had never done so across the entire sample, regardless of age. The average score was the best among those who were frequent volunteers and worst for those who had never volunteered.

When age was factored in, the positive association between volunteering and good mental health/emotional well-being became apparent at around age 40 and continued up into old age.

Those who had never volunteered had lower levels of emotional well-being, starting at midlife and continuing into old age, compared with those who did volunteer. The findings held true even after considering a range of potentially influential factors, including marital status, educational attainment, social class, and state of health.

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The findings show that volunteering may be more meaningful at certain points in life — and it’s why the researchers are calling for greater efforts to involve middle-aged to older people in some sort of charitable activity.

“Volunteering might provide those groups with greater opportunities for beneficial activities and social contacts, which in turn may have protective effects on health status,” they wrote. “With the aging of the population, it is imperative to develop effective health promotion for this last third of life, so that those living longer are healthier.”

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Previous research indicated that people who volunteer are likely to have more resources, a larger social network, and more power and prestige — all of which impact physical and mental health, they point out.

“Volunteering may also provide a sense of purpose, particularly for those people who have lost their earnings, because regular volunteering helps maintain social networks, which are especially important for older people who are often socially isolated,” they added.