<b>The Effects of Public Health Emergencies on Altruistic Behaviors: A Dilemma Arises between Safeguarding Personal Safety and Helping Others</b>

During public health emergencies, people need to help each other while also assisting in addressing societal-level challenges. However, the nature of the infection itself puts everyone at risk, which may prevent altruistic behaviors. In other words, the pandemic has created a dilemma in which individuals may need to choose between their personal safety and continuing to help others. As such, this study explored how public health emergencies affect altruistic behaviors. Questionnaire surveys were distributed to 1508 residents from 31 provinces across China in February 2020 during the outbreak of COVID-19. Structural equation models were then implemented to test multiple research hypotheses using the obtained data. Findings showed that the severity of the pandemic had both positive and negative effects on altruistic behaviors. Empathy mediated the positive relationship between the severity of the pandemic and altruistic behaviors, while the sense of control mediated the negative effect between the severity of the pandemic and altruistic behaviors. These findings are useful for a government’s altruistic behaviors promotion and disaster risk management.