Giving just one cent a day may help ease depression, study finds

A new study published in Psychological Science suggests that making small, voluntary charitable donations each day—amounting to as little as one Chinese cent—can help reduce depressive symptoms and boost emotional well-being. Researchers found that individuals with depression who participated in a daily online micro-charitable giving program showed greater improvements in mood and reductions in depressive symptoms than those who did not participate. These effects were linked to increased positive emotions and were observed even when donation amounts were minimal.

The researchers were motivated by a growing body of evidence showing that spending money on others can improve well-being. However, many existing interventions that aim to increase happiness through prosocial behavior rely on social interactions, such as acts of kindness or volunteering.

For individuals experiencing depression, such interactions can be uncomfortable or emotionally taxing. People with depression often report feeling disconnected from others, and they may react negatively to social situations that are intended to promote positive emotions. As a result, socially based prosocial interventions have shown limited success in reducing depressive symptoms. The research team wanted to explore whether a simpler, non-social form of prosocial behavior—donating small amounts of money online—could have similar benefits, without the emotional demands of face-to-face interactions.

“The concept was initially proposed by the first author, Zhang Yuyang, who stated: During my undergraduate years, I was dedicated to public service, engaging in activities such as volunteering and utilizing my university’s agricultural resources to assist farmers with soil challenges. My advisor, Sun Junrong, aware of my enthusiasm for charity, invited me to participate in daily donations on Tencent Charity, contributing 1 yuan each time,” said senior author Jinting Liu, an associate professor at Shenzhen University and head of the Positive Cognition Laboratory.

“While preparing for my psychology graduate exams, a notably stressful period, I observed that donating uplifted my mood, potentially due to a ‘warm glow’ effect. This realization inspired my commitment to regular acts of kindness. Upon entering graduate school, I contemplated whether this mood enhancement could be replicated in others. I discussed this idea with my mentor, who deemed it promising and encouraged me to formulate a precise scientific inquiry and experimental design.

“Considering that donating 1 yuan daily for two months amounts to 60 yuan, which might strain students’ finances, I explored reducing the donation amount. I discovered that the minimum donation on Tencent Charity was 0.01 yuan, resulting in a total of only 0.60 yuan for a two-month intervention. This observation catalyzed the development of the research idea.”

The researchers developed a novel intervention: a daily microdonation program in which participants were invited to donate at least one Chinese cent (about $0.0014) per day through the Tencent philanthropy platform. This popular online platform allows users in China to support a wide range of charitable causes, such as healthcare, education, and environmental protection. Each evening, participants received a reminder message that encouraged them to record their donation, reinforcing the idea that “even one cent holds value.”

The researchers conducted three separate, preregistered randomized controlled trials to test the effectiveness of this intervention. In total, they recruited 883 individuals with elevated depressive symptoms, primarily female college students in China. Participants were assigned either to the intervention group, which received daily reminders and made donations for two months, or to a waitlist control group that received no treatment during the study period. Participants completed weekly or monthly surveys measuring depression and emotional positivity using validated psychological scales.

A key component of the study’s design was the use of multilevel modeling to track changes in depressive symptoms and emotional positivity over time. This statistical approach allowed the researchers to examine patterns across individuals and control for differences at the beginning of the study. In addition to these primary measures, they also looked at whether emotional positivity might explain any observed changes in depression. This type of analysis—known as a mediation analysis—can help identify possible pathways through which an intervention has its effects.

Across all three trials, participants in the donation group showed significantly greater improvements in both depressive symptoms and emotional positivity compared to those in the waitlist group. The size of these improvements was small to moderate, with effect sizes ranging from −0.19 to −0.46 for depression and 0.22 to 0.49 for emotional positivity. These differences emerged early in the study and were generally sustained over the two-month period. In many cases, participants in the intervention group were more likely to experience at least a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms or to score below the clinical threshold for depression.

Importantly, the researchers found that increases in emotional positivity appeared to account for much of the improvement in depressive symptoms. In all three trials, participants who reported feeling more positive emotions during the intervention period also tended to show greater reductions in depression scores. This pattern supports the idea that the emotional benefits of giving—sometimes called the “warm glow”—can play a key role in improving mental health. It also suggests that social interaction is not the only route through which prosocial behavior can influence well-being.

“Our findings indicate that, compared to the control group (no intervention), participants in the intervention group—those who engaged in daily micro-donations over eight weeks—experienced significant improvements in both depressive symptoms and emotional positivity,” Liu told PsyPost. “In summary, engaging in daily online micro-donations appears to benefit individuals struggling with depressive symptoms, which constitutes the central outcome of our study.”

“This finding may also offer a promising avenue for public charitable organizations: designing online donation platforms grounded in psychological principles. Such an approach could foster a mutually beneficial dynamic by simultaneously enhancing the reach of charitable initiatives and promoting the psychological well-being of donors.”

“The main results of our study were unsurprising,” Liu added. “The mental health benefits of prosocial behavior are well-documented in previous empirical research. Additionally, the first author’s personal experiences and observations align with these findings. As per his account: ‘I engaged in a lengthy period of micro donations and became the initial beneficiary of this intervention. Before formally conducting the study, I recommended this intervention to friends, who provided positive feedback on their experiences. Thus, we were confident as we embarked on the research.'”

The researchers also explored whether the size of the donations mattered. “An unexpected finding emerged during the intervention: while some participants adhered to donating 0.01 yuan, many voluntarily contributed more,” Liu noted.

In two of the trials, the researchers tracked how much money participants gave each day. They found that individuals who donated more than the minimum amount tended to show slightly greater improvements in mood and depression than those who donated the minimum. However, these differences were not statistically significant in all cases.

“We wish to emphasize that the act of donation itself, rather than the monetary amount, is the critical factor underlying our findings,” Liu explained. “We encourage individuals and charitable organizations alike to approach daily donations with a focus on goodwill and compassion—an expression of care and love—rather than viewing them as obligatory tasks or essential tools for improving mental health. Importantly, our intervention invited, rather than compelled, participants to donate, as the voluntary nature of prosocial behavior is a key prerequisite for its mental health benefits. Thus, donations should not be framed as mandatory actions.”

Despite its promising results, the study has some limitations. Most participants were young adults in China, and it is not yet clear whether the findings would generalize to other age groups or cultures. Additionally, while the researchers made efforts to reduce dropout, some participants did not complete the full study, particularly in the third and largest trial. The researchers also note that their design did not include a comparison group receiving a different type of intervention, such as traditional social volunteering or a mindfulness program. Without such comparisons, it is difficult to say how the donation-based intervention stacks up against other approaches.

“Previous research has indicated that traditional prosocial interventions, which involve engaging in and documenting prosocial behaviors, are generally ineffective in alleviating depressive symptoms,” Liu explained. “In this study, we hypothesized that this limited efficacy might stem from the difficulty depressed individuals experience in engaging in prosocial behaviors and deriving benefits from them. It is important to emphasize that this hypothesis is based solely on existing empirical evidence and does not serve to stigmatize individuals with depression regarding their ability to participate in prosocial activities.”

“As an alternative form of prosocial intervention, we developed an online charitable donation approach, leveraging its convenience and controlled cost (e.g., allowing participants to freely choose donation amounts). We then compared the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing depressive symptoms against a waitlist control group. However, it is important to note that our study did not directly compare the online micro-charity donation intervention with traditional prosocial interventions. Thus, we cannot conclude that online prosocial interventions are superior to conventional approaches in improving the psychological health of individuals with depression.”

“Furthermore, while we selected participants exhibiting depressive symptoms, we did not conduct clinical interviews to confirm their diagnostic status,” Liu said. “As a result, our intervention should not be regarded as a clinical treatment protocol. Individuals with clinically diagnosed depression who wish to try this intervention are strongly encouraged to consult with their mental health professionals before proceeding.”

The authors suggest future research should explore whether the benefits of microdonation fade over time, whether combining it with practices like loving-kindness meditation enhances its effects, and whether other non-social prosocial behaviors can similarly improve mental health.

“Based on the current research findings, there are numerous avenues for future exploration,” Liu explained. “Firstly, prosocial behaviors devoid of direct social interaction extend beyond online donations; for instance, pro-environmental actions have also been shown to enhance individual well-being. This could potentially inspire the development of new intervention strategies.”

“Secondly, after establishing the efficacy of an intervention, we are intrigued by the potential modifiers that may influence its effectiveness. For example, is the impact subject to hedonic adaptation? What is the dose-response mechanism regarding the amount donated and its effect on the intervention’s success? Additionally, to what extent do our intervention instructions contribute to the observed outcomes? Furthermore, could integrating mindfulness meditation, similar to loving-kindness meditation, amplify the effects?”

“Lastly, beyond the scope of this study, we are also curious about how these non-social interaction-based prosocial interventions compare to traditional prosocial interventions,” Liu said. “This inquiry not only pertains to the efficacy of the interventions but also to understanding the mechanisms by which different forms of social interaction in prosocial behavior impact depressive symptoms.”

At the end of the study, the researchers sought to understand not just the clinical outcomes of the intervention, but also how participants personally experienced the act of daily giving. Their reflections offered a deeper, more human perspective on how even the smallest acts of generosity can foster emotional connection, meaning, and a sense of shared humanity.

“Many participants reported experiencing happiness and fulfillment after donating, expressing empathy for the recipients and a renewed appreciation for their own lives,” Liu told PsyPost. “Interestingly, some participants began to view the value of one cent in more nuanced ways: ‘Although it’s just one cent, it feels as though there’s some kind of connection with the recipient,’ one participant noted. Another remarked, ‘Donating made me feel incredibly refreshed, knowing that even my small contribution helped someone in need.’ Perhaps most profoundly, this small act of kindness prompted reflections on the meaning of life: ‘Offering even a small amount of help to others makes me feel that life has purpose.’

“We deeply appreciate the positive feedback provided by these participants. Their genuine responses have been a source of inspiration and motivation for us to continue advancing this intervention. One of the core missions of psychology is to enhance human well-being, and this micro-donation, imbued with goodwill, has demonstrated its potential to connect people in meaningful ways. We believe that this interconnectedness of compassion is central to the concept of a fulfilling life.”

“We are also sincerely grateful to Psychological Science for accepting our manuscript and to the journalists who have interviewed us,” Liu added. “Their support allows our ideas to reach a broader audience, including both psychologists and the general public. It is our hope that all individuals, regardless of their background, can be united by the thread of kindness and work together to create a better future for humanity.”

The study, “Can One Donation a Day Keep Depression Away? Three Randomized Controlled Trials of an Online Micro-Charitable Giving Intervention,” was authored by Yuyang Zhang, Qianyu Jiang, Yushen Luo, and Jinting Liu.