Loneliness Check-In
Based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale (3-item version) developed by Hughes et al. (2004). A validated brief measure of subjective social isolation used in large population studies, including AARP's national survey and the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 Advisory on Loneliness.
How often do you feel the following? Think about the past few weeks.
1. How often do you feel that you lack companionship?
2. How often do you feel left out?
3. How often do you feel isolated from others?
About This Check-In
This check-in reproduces the UCLA Loneliness Scale (3-item version) developed by Hughes et al. (2004) as a brief, validated alternative to the full 20-item UCLA scale. Scores range from 3 to 9. A score of 6 or more has been used in population research, including the AARP national loneliness survey, to identify higher levels of loneliness. The U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 Advisory cited this scale as a standard measure of the national loneliness epidemic.
Loneliness is not a character flaw or personal failure. It is a physiological signal, like hunger, that alerts you to an unmet social need. Chronic loneliness is associated with elevated risks for depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality. It is both preventable and treatable.