ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus and associated disease (COVID-19) was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Besides the devastation it had caused to the health and immunity of people, there were several social, economic, and psychological consequences. Despite times of crisis and turmoil, humans have been prosocial and altruistic towards each other. Several prosocial behaviours have been observed during the pandemic, including wearing masks, caring for those infected, maintaining social distancing, and volunteering for community work and research. It has been shown in studies that prosocial behaviours multiply during emergencies. Individuals’ prosocial behaviour has been studied extensively during times of crisis, including after Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Sichuan, China, and globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present systematic review is based on psychological studies assessing altruistic behaviours during the pandemic, following the structure of other systematic reviews and PRISMA guidelines. The results of reviews of over 30 research studies conducted are categorised into the following: types of prosocial behaviour, therapeutic effects, and positive outcomes. The review analysed the reasons for prosocial behaviour, compliance with protective measures, the extent of the impact of behaviours, and their positive and negative consequences.
