Natural disasters and aging societies are increasingly prevalent globally. To improve environmental injustice and contribute to social good, the Tzu Chi Recycling Program engages older adult volunteers in recycling usable materials into eco-friendly blankets for disaster survivors. Drawing on life span and ecological systems theories, this study examined the longitudinal effects of this program on older adults’ mental and physical health. Using a quasi-experimental longitudinal design, data were collected from older adults at recycling stations (intervention group, n = 36) and community centers (control group, n = 36) in rural areas in Southern Taiwan. Findings from two-way repeated measures analysis of variance show that the program significantly improved older adults’ self-compassion, compassion for others, depression, hostility, happiness, and hypertension. Older adults built resilience and contributed to environmental sustainability and social good, which suggest a new avenue for social work practitioners and policy-makers to address social and environmental challenges.
AdamsC. E.LearyM. R. (2007). Promoting self-compassionate attitudes toward eating among restrictive and guilty eaters. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 1120–1144. doi:10.1521/jscp.2007.26.10.1120
2.
AllenA. B.LearyM. R. (2010). Self-compassion, stress, and coping. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 107–118. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2009.00246.x
3.
BermanM. G.JonidesJ.KaplanS. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19, 1207–1212. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x
4.
BrehmJ.EisenhauerB.StedmanR. (2008, June). A comparative analysis of the nexus of place attachment and behavior. Paper presented at the 2008 International Symposium for Society and Natural Resources, Burlington, VT.
5.
BronfenbrennerU. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
6.
BurrJ. A.TavaresJ.MutchlerJ. E. (2011). Volunteering and hypertension risk in later life. Journal of Aging and Health, 23, 24–51. doi:10.1177/0898264310388272
7.
BushwayL. J.DickinsonJ. L.StedmanR. C.WagenetL. P.WeinsteinD. A. (2011). Benefits, motivations, and barriers related to environmental volunteerism for older adults: Developing a research agenda. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 72, 189–206. doi:10.2190/AG.72.3.b
8.
ChongA. M. L.ChiI. (Eds.). (2019). Social work and sustainability in Asia: Facing the challenges of global environmental changes. Routledge.
9.
CutchinM. P. (2001). Deweyan integration: Moving beyond place attachment in elderly migration theory. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 52, 29–44. doi:10.2190/AF2D-A0T4-Q14C-1RTW
10.
Da Ai News. (2010, September19). Tzu Chi’s 20th anniversary of environment protection—Starting from your hands [video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdLrmZy1SLE
EhlmanK.LigonM. (2012). The application of a generativity model for older adults. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 74, 331–344. doi:10.2190/AG.74.4.d
13.
EkmanP. (2003). Emotions revealed: Recognizing faces and feelings to improve communication and emotional life. Holt.
14.
EriksonE. H.EriksonJ. M. (1997). The life cycle completed (Extended ed.). W. W. Norton.
15.
GilbertP.ProcterS. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 13, 353–379. doi:10.1002/cpp.507
16.
GoetzJ. L.KeltnerD.Simon-ThomasE. (2010). Compassion: An evolutionary analysis and empirical review. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 351–374. doi:10.1037/a0018807
17.
GreenfieldE. A.MarksN. F. (2004). Formal volunteering as a protective factor for older adults’ psychological well-being. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 59, S258–S264. doi:10.1093/geronb/59.5.S258
18.
HatfieldE.CacioppoJ. T.RapsonR. L. (1993). Emotional contagion. Cambridge University Press.
19.
HayR. (1998). Sense of place in developmental context. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 18, 5–29. doi:10.1006/jevp.1997.0060
20.
HellerP. (1998). Aging in the Asian tiger economies. Finance and Development, 35, 26–29.
21.
HerR. S. (2008). Aesthetics of Tzu Chi practices: Beauty of life. New Century.
22.
HoffmanM. L. (1981). Is altruism part of human nature?Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 121–137. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.40.1.121
23.
HowgateD. (2008). Increasing volunteerism among older adults: Benefits and strategies for states. National Governors Association, Center for Best Practices.
24.
HsiaoH. Y.HsuH. T.BoudreauxD.TingA. (2019). Global grassroots green movement driven by Tzu Chi Foundation’s recycling volunteers: A multifaceted model of environmental sustainability with transformative social changes. In ChongA. M. L.ChiI. (Eds.), Social work and sustainability in Asia: Facing the challenges of global environmental changes. Routledge.
JenkinsonC. E.DickensA. P.JonesK.Thompson-CoonJ.TaylorR. S.RogersM.…RichardsS. H. (2013). Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health, 13, 773. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-773
27.
KempS. P.PalinkasL. A. (2015). Strengthening the social response to human impacts of environmental change. American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.
28.
LearyM. R.TateE. B.AdamsC. E.AllenA. B.HancockJ. (2007). Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: The implications of treating oneself kindly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 887–904. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.887
29.
LiaoY. C.YehT. L.YangY. K.LuF. H.ChangC. J.KoH. C.LoC. M. (2004). Reliability and validation of the Taiwan geriatric depression scale. Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry, 18, 30–41.
30.
LibrettJ.YoreM. M.BuchnerD. M.SchmidT. L. (2005). Take pride in America’s health: Volunteering as a gateway to physical activity. American Journal of Health Education, 36, 8–13. doi:10.1080/19325037.2005.10608149
31.
LuL. (1998). The meaning, measure, and correlates of happiness among Chinese people. Proceedings of the National Science Council, Part C, 115–137. doi:10.1080/02678379708256824
32.
LumT. Y.LightfootE. (2005). The effects of volunteering on the physical and mental health of older people. Research on Aging, 27, 31–55. doi:10.1177/0164027504271349
33.
MasonL. R.RiggJ. (Eds.). (2018). People and climate change: Vulnerability, adaptation, and social justice. Oxford University Press.
34.
McAdamsD. P. (2006). The redemptive self: Generativity and the stories Americans live by. Research in Human Development, 3, 81–100. doi:10.1080/15427609.2006.9683363
35.
MilesI.SullivanW. C.KuoF. E. (1998). Ecological restoration volunteers: The benefits of participation. Urban Ecosystems, 2, 27–41. doi:10.1023/A:1009501515335
36.
Mor BarakM. E. (2018). The practice and science of social good: Emerging paths to positive social impact. Research on Social Work Practice. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/1049731517745600
37.
Morrow-HowellN.HinterlongJ.RozarioP. A.TangF. (2003). Effects of volunteering on the well-being of older adults. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58, S137–S145. doi:10.1093/geronb/58.3.S137
38.
NeffK. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223–250. doi:10.1080/15298860309027
39.
NeffK. D.HsiehY. -P.DejitteratK. (2005). Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure. Self and Identity, 4, 263–287. doi:10.1080/13576500444000317
40.
NeffK. D.KirkpatrickK. L.RudeS. S. (2007). Self-compassion and adaptive psychological functioning. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 139–154. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2006.03.004
41.
OkunM. A.YeungE. W.BrownS. (2013). Volunteering by older adults and risk of mortality: A meta-analysis. Psychology and Aging, 28, 564–577. doi:10.1037/a0031519
42.
PillemerK.Fuller-RowellT. E.ReidM. C.WellsN. M. (2010). Environmental volunteering and health outcomes over a 20-year period. Gerontologist, 50, 594–602. doi:10.1093/geront/gnq007
43.
PillemerK.WellsN. M.MeadorR. H.SchultzL.HendersonC. R.JrCopeM. T. (2017). Engaging older adults in environmental volunteerism: The retirees in service to the environment program. Gerontologist, 57, 367–375. doi:10.1093/geront/gnv693
44.
PommierE. A. (2011). The compassion scale. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72, 1174.
45.
RoweJ. W.KahnR. L. (1997). Successful aging. Gerontologist, 37, 433–440. doi:10.1093/geront/37.4.433
TakanoT.NakamuraK.WatanabeM. (2002). Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: The importance of walkable green spaces. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56, 913–918. doi:10.1136/jech.56.12.913
WellsN. M.EvansG. W. (2003). Nearby nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior, 35, 311–330. doi:10.1177/0013916503035003001
53.
WengC. Y.LinI. M.LueB. L.ChenH. J.WuY. C.ChengY. R. (2008). Development and psychometric properties of the Chinese Hostility Inventory: Short form. Psychological Testing, 55, 463–487.
54.
YesavageJ. A.BrinkT. L.RoseT. L.LumO.HuangV.AdeyM.LeirerV. O. (1982). Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: A preliminary report. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 17, 37–49. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(82)90033-4
