Helping Behavior of Older Adults during the Early COVID-19 Lockdown in Belgium

Abstract

This study aimed to understand whether older adults not only received but also provided help during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Belgium, which factors motivated them to help, and whether older adults differed from younger age groups in terms of helping behavior and motives. Bivariate analyses were performed using data generated from an online cross-sectional survey in Belgium ( N = 1892). The results showed that older adults who received help also provided it. This “interdependence” – mutual or reciprocal dependence – occurred regardless of age. In terms of motives for providing help, both older adults and their younger peers were primarily motivated by present-oriented and emotion-related motivation: older people were motivated to provide help by altruistic values and humanism, and enhancement motives linked to self-development. Policy implications of these results entail: during crisis situations, make use of the bond between older adults and their neighbors, such as caring communities.