A systematic review of loneliness and social isolation scales used in epidemics and pandemics.

Psychiatry Res

Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, USA; Geriatric Research Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), Little Rock, AR, USA; Department of Geriatrics, UAMS, Little Rock, AR, USA. Electronic address:

Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened social isolation and loneliness. There is a lack of consensus on rating scales to measure these constructs. Our objectives were to identify commonly used loneliness and social isolation scales over the last two decades and test their user characteristics. 7928 articles were searched in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and APA PsychINFO databases. 41 articles were included based on study criteria. Among fourteen scales reported, UCLA 3-item loneliness scale was found to be most commonly used. The scale is specifically developed for telephone use and is the fastest taking less than a minute for self-administration.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8502233PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114217DOI Listing

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