Motivations, willingness, and gains: a qualitative study of experiences of helping behaviors among community-dwelling older adults in China using self-construal theory

Background Prosocial behaviors are important public health strategies for decreasing older people’s social isolation and improving their social engagement and well-being. However, few studies have explored older Chinese people’s helping behaviors. Therefore, this qualitative study was designed to explore the experiences of helping behaviors among community-dwelling older adults using self-construal theory, focusing on their motivations, willingness, and gains. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was conducted from July to September 2024 in Southwest China using semistructured, in-depth, in-person interviews. Participants were selected through purposive sampling method, and categories and subcategories were identified through content analysis method. Results A total of twenty community-dwelling older adults participated in this study. Six categories and thirteen subcategories were extracted from the data analysis. The categories included (i) the individual self (intrinsic motivation and self-interested motivation); (ii) the relational self (driven by genetic factors and help people close to them); (iii) the collective self (responsibility and obligation and prioritizing collective interests); (iv) the beyond self (pure altruism and helping strangers discreetly); (v) perceived gains (intergenerational support, peer support, and positive emotions); and (vi) barriers to and facilitators of helping behaviors. Conclusion The results emphasized that the intrinsic motivations for helping behaviors among older people were mainly benevolence and empathy. However, the motivations and willingness to engage in helping behaviors differed and were complex for different recipients. Perceived intergenerational support, peer support, and positive emotions could be protective factors for them in maintaining long-term helping behavior. Therefore, increasing helping behaviors in daily life should be considered an effective public health measure for older people to obtain family and social support and promote their mental health.