Altruistic behavior is usually associated with improved subjective well-being and overall mental health for the do-gooder (as long as it does not feel unduly burdensome). Volunteering is often associated with reduced depression and anxiety.41 This connection between altruism and human psychology is especially critical in the time of COVID-19, when mental health is itself a concern, whether the harm originates from a fear of the virus or from social isolation.42 And so altruism and cooperation provide an antidote for many of the negative emotions we reviewed in chapter 4.
