UCLA Loneliness Scale

The UCLA Loneliness Scale (v3) is a 20-item validated measure of subjective loneliness and social isolation. The most widely used loneliness measure in psychological research, with applications in clinical settings to screen for social disconnection and its health consequences.

What is the UCLA Loneliness Scale?

The UCLA Loneliness Scale was originally developed by Daniel Russell, Letitia Anne Peplau, and Carolyn Cutrona in 1978 and refined through multiple versions. The current Version 3 (Russell, 1996) is the most widely used, with high internal consistency (α = .89–.94) and strong validity across diverse populations. It measures subjective loneliness, the perceived quality of social connections, rather than objective social isolation.

Each of the 20 items asks how often the respondent experiences a feeling related to social connectedness, rated on a 4-point scale: Never (1), Rarely (2), Sometimes (3), Always (4). Nine items use positive wording (e.g., "feeling in tune with others") and are reverse-scored before summing. Higher scores indicate greater loneliness.

Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a public health concern with health effects comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes per day (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015). It is associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, cognitive decline, and increased mortality. The UCLA Loneliness Scale is in the public domain and free for clinical and research use.

Rate how often you feel each way. Think about how you generally feel, not just right now.

Educational reference only. Cannot diagnose or replace clinical evaluation.

Loneliness Score Bands

Russell (1996). Nine positively worded items (1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20) are reverse-scored before summing.

Screen for Loneliness Alongside Mood in HiBoop

UCLA Loneliness Scale alongside PHQ-9 and GAD-7, a complete picture of psychological and social wellbeing for every patient.