Jennifer Morrison, Chief Compliance and Privacy Office
Mark S. Ritchie, Lead APC Physician Assistant, Emergency Medicine
Jennifer and Mark are co-chairs of TeamHealth Serves
Healthcare professionals are no strangers to stress. Whether you work behind the scenes in administration or on the front lines of patient care, the work often involves emotional labor, time pressure, and a constant pull between competing priorities. Over time, that can take a real toll.
In environments like these, conversations about mental health understandably tend to focus on resilience training, mindfulness, or workload management. These are important tools. But there’s another, often overlooked support that offers something different: volunteering.
Research consistently shows that volunteering is associated with meaningful mental health benefits, including improved psychological well-being, reduced depressive symptoms, and greater life satisfaction. These benefits don’t come from “doing more” in the way healthcare work already demands. Instead, they come from doing something different, something chosen freely, rooted in purpose, and experienced outside the pressures of professional identity.
For healthcare professionals, that distinction can be powerful. Volunteering can help restore a sense of agency and meaning that may feel eroded by increasing demands and expectations. Studies suggest that engaging in regular volunteer activities is linked to lower levels of depression and higher wellbeing, especially when the experience feels reciprocal and valued. In other words, when people feel that their contributions truly matter and are appreciated, the impact is even stronger.
Volunteering also strengthens social connection, a key protective factor for mental health. Large-scale reviews have found that volunteers often report greater social connection, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing over time compared to non-volunteers. For those in healthcare roles that may feel isolating, such as remote or highly specialized positions, volunteering can offer a meaningful way to build connections and community outside the workplace.
Importantly, the research does not suggest that “more is always better.” Moderate, sustainable engagement appears to be most beneficial. Excessive commitments can lead to stress or burnout, something healthcare professionals understand all too well. The goal is not to take on another obligation, but to reconnect with why helping others matters in the first place, on your own terms.
A Gentle Call to Action
If you’re feeling emotionally drained, disconnected, or simply less fulfilled than you’d like, consider exploring a volunteer opportunity that aligns with your values and interests.
Start small. Look for roles that feel meaningful, appreciated, and manageable within your life. Whether it’s mentoring, community outreach, advocacy, or skills-based volunteering, the act of giving your time intentionally may also give something important back to you.
Sometimes, supporting your own mental health begins not by doing more, but by reconnecting with purpose – human to human.
