ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of engagement in well-being and personal development. A growing number of researchers have explored the positive impact of activism on the well-being of the individuals involved. M. E. Gilster's research into differences between neighbourhood activism and volunteering found that, whilst both had a positive impact on well-being, activism additionally led to a sense of empowerment; Gilster concluded that activism and volunteering should be studied separately. The concept of youth activism most commonly appears within youth civic engagement research. In the field of mental health activism, although there is a significant presence of people who have had bad experiences with the mental health system and wish to band together to try to change how things are done, the profile of the people involved is very heterogeneous. The research on mental health activism is growing, and there are even well-known scholars who have made public their experiences with distress.
