Helping Others Helps Me: Prosocial Behavior and Satisfaction With Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented global challenges.
• Prosocial behavior (PsB) research typically focuses on natural disasters, not pandemics.
• The pandemic's negative emotional impact on well-being requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the role of prosocial behavior (PsB) on life satisfaction (SWL) in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To examine how PsB mitigates negative emotional impacts associated with the pandemic.
• To understand the coping mechanisms related to life satisfaction and PsB in a crisis.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory analysis of a general population sample in Colombia (N=2,574).
• Utilized the Classification Tree technique to identify key relationships.
• Data collected considered the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.

Main Results:

• Engaging in prosocial behaviors (e.g., donations, food sharing) was linked to enhanced life satisfaction (SWL).
• PsB was found to decrease the impact of negative emotions like pessimism, indecisiveness, and irritability.
• The study identified specific prosocial actions that positively correlate with well-being during the pandemic.

Conclusions:

• Life satisfaction serves as a crucial personal resource for navigating complex crisis situations.
• Prosocial behavior demonstrates tangible benefits for individual well-being, even amidst a global health crisis.
• Findings underscore the importance of promoting PsB for mental health resilience during pandemics.