Xiao H, Zhang Y, Kong D, Li S, Yang N. 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. Med Sci Monit 2020; 26: e923921.

During a period of individual self-isolation during the COVID-19 epidemic, increased social capital improved sleep quality by reducing anxiety and stress.

Social capital is a measure of social trust, belonging, and participation. This study investigated 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. Individuals (n = 170) who self-isolated at home for 14 days completed self-reported questionnaires on the third day of isolation. Individual social capital (Personal Social Capital Scale 16), anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale), stress (Stanford Acute Stress Reaction questionnaire) and sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were measured. 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.