20-item measure of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. ≈ 5 min to complete. Free with attribution.
UCLA-LS (UCLA Loneliness Scale) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 20-item measure of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation.. It is most often used for 20-item measure of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation.. The instrument contains 20 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 5 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
20-item measure of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. UCLA-LS 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 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 20 items below to see your UCLA-LS score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 4-point scale (4–1). 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 20 items scored 1-4. Total range 20-80. Higher scores = greater loneliness.
Scoring notes: Sum all 20 items scored 1-4. Total range 20-80. Higher scores = greater loneliness.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 20–34 | Low loneliness | None |
| 35–49 | Moderate loneliness | Monitor |
| 50–80 | High loneliness | Social support 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 are 'in tune' with the people around you? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 2 | How often do you feel that you lack companionship? | Rarely | 2 |
| 3 | How often do you feel that there is no one you can turn to? | Rarely | 2 |
| 4 | How often do you feel alone? | Rarely | 2 |
| 5 | How often do you feel part of a group of friends? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 6 | How often do you feel that you have a lot in common with the people around you? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 7 | How often do you feel that you are no longer close to anyone? | Rarely | 2 |
| 8 | How often do you feel that your interests and ideas are not shared by those around you? | Rarely | 2 |
| 9 | How often do you feel outgoing and friendly? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 10 | How often do you feel close to people? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 11 | How often do you feel left out? | Rarely | 2 |
| 12 | How often do you feel that your relationships with others are not meaningful? | Rarely | 2 |
| 13 | How often do you feel that no one really knows you well? | Rarely | 2 |
| 14 | How often do you feel isolated from others? | Rarely | 2 |
| 15 | How often do you feel you can find companionship when you want it? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 16 | How often do you feel that there are people who really understand you? | Sometimes | 2 |
| 17 | How often do you feel shy? | Rarely | 2 |
| 18 | How often do you feel that people are around you but not with you? | Sometimes | 3 |
| 19 | How often do you feel that there are people you can talk to? | Rarely | 3 |
| 20 | How often do you feel that there are people you can turn to? | Sometimes | 2 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + … (items 9–20 sum to 26) = 42
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 42 falls between 35 and 49 → Moderate loneliness
Moderate loneliness. Monitor
A score is one input alongside history and examination. UCLA-LS 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 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-3 | Ultra-brief 3-item version of UCLA Loneliness Scale for large surveys. | 3 | ≈ 1 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 (UCLA Loneliness Scale) is a validated instrument that assesses subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 5 min to complete, and the 20 items are summed to produce a total score.
UCLA-LS typically takes about 5 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 contains 20 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 20 to 80, grouped into 3 interpretation bands from ‘Low loneliness’ up to ‘High loneliness’.
On the UCLA-LS (total score 20–80), scores of 50–80 fall in the ‘High loneliness’ band — interpreted as: Social support intervention. The full ladder is: 20–34 — Low loneliness: None.; 35–49 — Moderate loneliness: Monitor.; 50–80 — High loneliness: Social support 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 20–34 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 has reported Cronbach's α of 0.91 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.73. Most widely used loneliness measure; validated across cultures. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.91 indicates excellent internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.73 means scores are well when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
UCLA-LS 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.
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Cutrona, C. E. (1980). The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(3), 472-480. This is the original publication for the UCLA-LS — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. UCLA-LS is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation — 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 is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: