Supports, Burdensomeness, and Dependence
Research suggests that volunteering and helping others can be beneficial for the mental health of the helper. This effect is believed to stand above and beyond any tendency for those with better mental health to be more likely to volunteer for things in the first place. Conversely, dependence on others and being a recipient of help can be bad for mental health. Indeed, a major component of the dominant interpersonal theory of suicide suggests that those who perceive themselves as…