Ultra-brief 3-item version of UCLA Loneliness Scale for large surveys. ≈ 1 min to complete. Free with attribution.
UCLA-LS-3 (UCLA Loneliness Scale-3) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess ultra-brief 3-item version of ucla loneliness scale for large surveys.. It is most often used for ultra-brief 3-item version of ucla loneliness scale for large surveys.. The instrument contains 3 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 1 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
Ultra-brief 3-item version of UCLA Loneliness Scale for large surveys. UCLA-LS-3 is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, UCLA-LS-3 is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 3 items below to see your UCLA-LS-3 score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 3-point scale (1–3). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum all 3 items scored 1-3 (or 1-5 depending on version). Total range 3-9 (or 3-15). Higher = more lonely.
Scoring notes: Sum all 3 items scored 1-3 (or 1-5 depending on version). Total range 3-9 (or 3-15). Higher = more lonely.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | Low loneliness | None |
| 6–7 | Moderate loneliness | Monitor |
| 8–9 | High loneliness | Consider intervention |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How often do you feel that you lack companionship? | Some of the time | 2 |
| 2 | How often do you feel left out? | Some of the time | 2 |
| 3 | How often do you feel isolated from others? | Often | 3 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 + 2 + 3 = 7
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 7 falls between 6 and 7 → Moderate loneliness
Moderate loneliness. Monitor
A score is one input alongside history and examination. UCLA-LS-3 supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If UCLA-LS-3 doesn't fit your context, related instruments in social support include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSSS-3 | 3-item brief measure of perceived social support. | 3 | ≈ 1 min |
| MSPSS | 12-item measure assessing perceived social support from family, friends, and significant other. | 12 | ≈ 3 min |
| UCLA-LS | 20-item measure of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. | 20 | ≈ 5 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
UCLA-LS-3 (UCLA Loneliness Scale-3) is a validated instrument that assesses an ultra-brief 3-item version of UCLA Loneliness Scale for large surveys. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 1 min to complete, and the 3 items are summed to produce a total score.
UCLA-LS-3 typically takes about 1 min to administer. The exact duration varies a little depending on whether it is self-administered or completed with a clinician. Its brief format is part of what makes it practical for routine clinical use and for repeat administration when tracking change over time.
UCLA-LS-3 contains 3 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 3 to 9, grouped into 3 interpretation bands from ‘Low loneliness’ up to ‘High loneliness’.
On the UCLA-LS-3 (total score 3–9), scores of 8–9 fall in the ‘High loneliness’ band — interpreted as: Consider intervention. The full ladder is: 3–5 — Low loneliness: None.; 6–7 — Moderate loneliness: Monitor.; 8–9 — High loneliness: Consider intervention. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 3–5 fall in the ‘Low loneliness’ band: None. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
UCLA-LS-3 has reported Cronbach's α of 0.72 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.68. Acceptable reliability for ultra-brief measure. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.72 indicates acceptable internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.68 means scores are moderately stable when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
UCLA-LS-3 is free to use with attribution — clinical, educational, and research use is permitted provided the original source is credited. If you publish results or reproduce the scale, include the citation to the source paper.
Hays, R. D., & DiMatteo, M. R. (1987). A short-form measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 51(1), 69-81. This is the original publication for the UCLA-LS-3 — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. UCLA-LS-3 is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is assessment with the UCLA-LS-3 — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
UCLA-LS-3 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: