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Volunteering can make you happier and help you live [longest / longer] , according [by / to] a new study. A research paper published on Friday in the journal BMC Public Health says doing good [reeds / deeds] for others boosts your mental health and increases your [longevity / length] . Researchers from the UK's University of Exeter [reviewing / reviewed] 40 academic papers into the effects of volunteerism [in / on] our health. They found that volunteers had lower rates of depression, an increased sense of [well-being / well-been] , and a 22 per cent [reduced / reduction] in the chances of dying [within / with] the next seven years. Australians lead the way in volunteering, with an estimated 36 per cent of the population [leading / lending] a hand.

Lead researcher Dr Suzanne Richards said: "Our systematic [review / preview] shows that volunteering is [association / associated] with improvements in mental health, but more work is needed to [establish / establishing] whether volunteering is actually the [cause / case] ." She added: "It is still unclear whether biological and cultural factors and [socially / social] resources that are often associated with better health and [survives / survival] are also associated with a willingness to volunteer in the [first / initial] place." In a separate study from the University of Michigan, researchers [suggestive / suggested] three reasons why volunteering may be beneficial. First, it involves [physical / physically] activity; second, the social connections we make help to reduce our stress; and third, it gives us a [deep / depth] sense of happiness.