In this latest report, Mental Health Innovations and three international digital textline partners from the US, Canada and Ireland, have revealed the impact of our combined 100,000 digital volunteers.
What the report has shown is the impact online crisis volunteering has beyond the platform and interactions with texters. Volunteers are armed with a set of skills that they are using in multiple areas of their lives, whether it's supporting friends and family, building their own mental resilience, gaining the confidence to start a new career or learning the skills to further their education, forging an impact on the communities around them and in turn broader society.
'The impact of online crisis volunteers’ details how our mental health volunteers, operating through a shared technology platform, are making significant inroads in responding to the growing need for global mental health support. Working to our unique, online volunteer model, Shout Volunteers and their counterparts from our global affiliate partners, gain significant mental health skills. They use these not only to help our beneficiaries, but also to deploy in their wider communities, channel into education, new careers and the mental health workforce, and even to forge an impact on broader society.
Key findings in the report reveal that being an online crisis volunteer:
- Contributes to personal growth
Volunteers develop skills and knowledge through training and engaging with texters and clinical supervisors that help their own personal growth and development. UK-specific data reveals that 100% of Shout Volunteers say their active listening and empathy skills have increased. - Inspires agents of change
Volunteers actively apply the skills and knowledge they acquire with their friends, families, and work colleagues. This extends the reach of the partner organisations beyond their platforms and contributes to tackling mental health stereotypes and influencing positive social change. - Strengthens societal resilience
Volunteers develop active listening, empathetic communication, and increased compassion for others. These life skills heighten their awareness of others and themselves, and contribute to forming healthier, more connected and resilient communities and societies. - Fosters connections and makes people feel less lonely
Volunteers feel more connected to their friends and family, and volunteering makes it easier for them to meet new people outside of the platform. Our findings reveal that 90% of Shout Volunteers feel more connected to others. - Influences career pathways and contributes to global mental health capacity
This is particularly true for younger volunteers under 25, many of whom are inspired by volunteering to pursue careers in mental health fields. UK-specific Shout data shows the impact volunteering is having on education and employment, with the findings revealing that Shout volunteering influences education and career pathways and contributes to the growth of the mental health workforce, supporting people, particularly young volunteers aged under 25, to find and retain employment. 61% of under 25-year-olds have told us it has helped them secure employment and more than half of Shout Volunteers (52%) have said it inspired them to change careers.
