Social Capital and Sleep Quality in Individuals Who Self-Isolated for 14 Days During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in January 2020 in China

TLDR

COVID‑19 spread in central China from late 2019, and social capital—defined as social trust, belonging, and participation—has been recognized as a potential protective resource. This study examined how social capital influences sleep quality and the mediating roles of anxiety and stress among individuals who self‑isolated at home for 14 days in January 2020 during the COVID‑19 outbreak in central China. A cross‑sectional survey of 170 participants who completed the PSCI‑16, SAS, SASR, and PSQI on day three of isolation was analyzed using Pearson correlations and structural equation modeling to assess the relationships among social capital, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality. Results showed that lower social capital was associated with higher anxiety and stress, whereas higher social capital was linked to better sleep quality; anxiety and stress mediated this relationship, and their combined effect weakened the positive impact of social capital on sleep.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:From the end of December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began to spread in central China. Social capital is a measure of social trust, belonging, and participation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of social capital on sleep quality and the mechanisms involved in people who self-isolated at home for 14 days in January 2020 during the COVID-19 epidemic in central China. MATERIAL AND METHODS:Individuals (n=170) who self-isolated at home for 14 days in central China, completed self-reported questionnaires on the third day of isolation. Individual social capital was assessed using the Personal Social Capital Scale 16 (PSCI-16) questionnaire. Anxiety was assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) questionnaire, stress was assessed using the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction (SASR) questionnaire, and sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Path analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships between a dependent variable (social capital) and two or more independent variables, using Pearson's correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS:Low levels of social capital were associated with increased levels of anxiety and stress, but increased levels of social capital were positively associated with increased quality of sleep. Anxiety was associated with stress and reduced sleep quality, and the combination of anxiety and stress reduced the positive effects of social capital on sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS:During a period of individual self-isolation during the COVID-19 virus epidemic in central China, increased social capital improved sleep quality by reducing anxiety and stress.