EAST LANSING — With Giving Tuesday coming to a close, researchers are highlighting evidence that community service and volunteer work could be associated with positive health outcomes for children and adolescents.

That’s according to psychologists and a 2023 study which found an association between frequent charity work and lower rates of anxiety and behavioral issues.

Bill Chopik, a psychology professor at Michigan State University, says that frequent volunteering can also be associated with lower rates of chronic illness, early cognitive impairment and heart disease later in life.

“People who volunteer and give live longer,” Chopik said. “They have less disability, they have high better mental health, so they’re more optimistic about the future. They have more purpose in life.”

The

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