Research Article: Assessment of an Epidemic Urgency: Psychometric Evidence for the UCLA Loneliness Scale

Abstract:
Loneliness has been described as an epidemic in modern society, affecting one-third of people in developed countries. It was defined as an “unpleasant experience that occurs when a person’s network of social relations is deficient in some important way, either quantitatively or qualitatively”., Perlman and Peplau identified several manifestations of loneliness throughout history: i) affective, characterized by feelings of dissatisfaction, anxiety, boredom, and interpersonal hostility; ii) motivational and cognitive, which influence initiating social interactions; iii) behavioral, characterized by anxiety or depressive behaviours, a lack of assertiveness, and difficulty discussing their loneliness with others; iv) social and medical issues, such as suicide, alcoholism, and illness. Although transient loneliness is common, chronic or severe levels may have an impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Indeed, in twenty-first-century society, this subjective experience is associated with a sense of vulnerability, fragility, and weakness. More recently, the Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness highlighted that loneliness serves as a biological alarm for all species. The negative affection that comes with loneliness motivates one to repair or replace deficient healthy bonds, and the relief from it is rewarding. The negative nature of loneliness, on the other hand, and the rewarding positive value of social contact result in a dual motivation to resolve loneliness. Loneliness would eventually be harmful to one’s health as well as dangerous. Recent cross-cultural studies have discovered high levels of loneliness in individualistic countries, particularly among men. Specifically in Europe, the north European countries had the lowest levels of loneliness, while the east European countries had the highest levels. Furthermore, a recent cross-temporal meta-analysis found that loneliness levels in emerging adults increased to . standard deviations on the UCLA Loneliness Scale over the -year study period.

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