A prosocial legacy of COVID-19 among healthcare professionals?

Joan Costa-Font, Nicolo Gatti (), Gilberto Turati () and Daniel Wiesen
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Nicolo Gatti: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Gilberto Turati: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

No def145, DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE)

Abstract: We study the extent to which exposure to COVID-19 has affected the prosociality of healthcare professionals. Drawing on evidence from an incentivized experiment and a companion survey of healthcare professionals (N = 194) at a large Italian hospital, we find that exposure to COVID-19 predicts their altruistic motivation. Healthcare professionals who either worked in COVID-19 wards or had a close relative or friend severely affected by the virus exhibited a higher propensity to prioritize patient welfare over personal gain. Controlling for demographic characteristics and personality traits, our estimates indicate a 5 percentage point increase in prosociality among exposed individuals. Conversely, personally contracting COVID-19 is related to a 6 percentage point decline in prosociality. Our results highlight that experiences of need shape prosocial preferences in hospital settings.

Keywords: COVID-19; provider altruism; healthcare professionals; medical decision-making; prosocial behavior; experiment. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D64 D81 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 34
Date: 2025-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-hea
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