UCLA
UCLA Loneliness Scale
Measuring: Subjective feelings of loneliness.
Number of Items: 5
| Item | Question Wording | TILDA Variable |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | How often do you feel you lack companionship? | SCQLonelns1 |
| 2 | How often do you feel left out? | SCQLonelns2 |
| 3 | How often do you feel isolated from others? | SCQLonelns3 |
| 4 | How often do you feel in-tune with the people around you? | SCQLonelns4 |
| 5 | How often do you feel lonely? | SCQLonelns5 |
Scoring Method:
Scored on a 3-point Likert scale.
0 = Hardly ever or never
1 = some of the time
2 = often
A cumulative score is generated with higher scores greater loneliness (0-10).
Item 4 is positively worded, and reverse scored prior to calculation.
Citation: Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Ferguson, M. L. (1978). Developing a measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42, 290-294.
Example TILDA Papers:
- Ward M, Briggs R, McGarrigle CA, De Looze C, O’Halloran AM, Kenny RA. The bi-directional association between loneliness and depression among older adults from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2023;e5856. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5856
Mohan, G., & Lyons, S. (2022). High-speed broadband availability, Internet activity among older people, quality of life and loneliness. New Media & Society, 26(5), 2889-2913. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221095218 (Original work published 2024)
Burns, A., Leavey, G., Ward, M. et al. The impact of loneliness on healthcare use in older people: evidence from a nationally representative cohort. J Public Health (Berl.) 30, 675–684 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01338-4
Mark Ward, Peter May, Charles Normand, Rose Anne Kenny, Anne Nolan, Mortality risk associated with combinations of loneliness and social isolation. Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Age and Ageing, Volume 50, Issue 4, July 2021, Pages 1329–1335, https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afab004
McHugh Power, J., Tang, J., Kenny, R. A., Lawlor, B. A., & Kee, F. (2020). Mediating the relationship between loneliness and cognitive function: the role of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Aging & mental health, 24(7), 1071–1078. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1599816
Burns, A., Leavey, G., Ward, M. et al. The impact of loneliness on healthcare use in older people: evidence from a nationally representative cohort. J Public Health (Berl.) 30, 675–684 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01338-4
McHugh Power, J. E., Hannigan, C., Carney, S., Feeney, J., Kenny, R. A., Kee, F., & Lawlor, B. A. (2020). Lonely SARTs: loneliness and sustained attention in the Irish longitudinal study of aging. Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition, 27(2), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2019.1602705
Power, J. E. M., Sjöberg, L., Kee, F., Kenny, R. A., & Lawlor, B. (2019). Comparisons of the discrepancy between loneliness and social isolation across Ireland and Sweden: findings from TILDA and SNAC-K. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 54(9), 1079–1088. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01679-w
Code
mvdecode SCQLonelns*, mv(-99=.\-812=.\-823=.)
gen ucla_loneliness = 0 if in_scq == 1
replace ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3-SCQLonelns1
replace ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3-SCQLonelns2
replace ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3-SCQLonelns3
replace ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3-SCQLonelns5
replace ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + SCQLonelns4-1
replace ucla_loneliness = . if abs(SCQLonelns1)>3
replace ucla_loneliness = . if abs(SCQLonelns2)>3
replace ucla_loneliness = . if abs(SCQLonelns3)>3
replace ucla_loneliness = . if abs(SCQLonelns4)>3
replace ucla_loneliness = . if abs(SCQLonelns5)>3
* no changes
label variable ucla_loneliness "UCLA loneliness scale"
notes ucla_loneliness : UCLA loneliness scale from Self-completion questionnaire
rename ucla_loneliness MHucla_lonelinessucla_items <- paste0("SCQLonelns", 1:5)
for (v in ucla_items) {
data[[v]][data[[v]] %in% c(-99, -812, -823)] <- NA_real_
}
data$ucla_loneliness <- NA_real_
data$ucla_loneliness[!is.na(data$in_scq) & data$in_scq == 1] <- 0
data$ucla_loneliness <- data$ucla_loneliness + 3 - data$SCQLonelns1
data$ucla_loneliness <- data$ucla_loneliness + 3 - data$SCQLonelns2
data$ucla_loneliness <- data$ucla_loneliness + 3 - data$SCQLonelns3
data$ucla_loneliness <- data$ucla_loneliness + 3 - data$SCQLonelns5
data$ucla_loneliness <- data$ucla_loneliness + data$SCQLonelns4 - 1
for (v in ucla_items) {
bad <- !is.na(data[[v]]) & abs(data[[v]]) > 3
data$ucla_loneliness[bad] <- NA_real_
}
attr(data$ucla_loneliness, "label") <- "UCLA loneliness scale"
attr(data$ucla_loneliness, "note") <-
"UCLA loneliness scale from Self-completion questionnaire"
names(data)[names(data) == "ucla_loneliness"] <- "MHucla_loneliness"RECODE SCQLonelns1 SCQLonelns2 SCQLonelns3 SCQLonelns4 SCQLonelns5
(-99 = SYSMIS) (-812 = SYSMIS) (-823 = SYSMIS).
COMPUTE ucla_loneliness = $SYSMIS.
IF (in_scq = 1) ucla_loneliness = 0.
COMPUTE ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3 - SCQLonelns1.
COMPUTE ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3 - SCQLonelns2.
COMPUTE ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3 - SCQLonelns3.
COMPUTE ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + 3 - SCQLonelns5.
COMPUTE ucla_loneliness = ucla_loneliness + SCQLonelns4 - 1.
IF (ABS(SCQLonelns1) > 3) ucla_loneliness = $SYSMIS.
IF (ABS(SCQLonelns2) > 3) ucla_loneliness = $SYSMIS.
IF (ABS(SCQLonelns3) > 3) ucla_loneliness = $SYSMIS.
IF (ABS(SCQLonelns4) > 3) ucla_loneliness = $SYSMIS.
IF (ABS(SCQLonelns5) > 3) ucla_loneliness = $SYSMIS.
VARIABLE LABELS ucla_loneliness "UCLA loneliness scale".
* Note: UCLA loneliness scale from Self-completion questionnaire.
RENAME VARIABLES (ucla_loneliness = MHucla_loneliness).
EXECUTE.