Screening for loneliness in representative population samples: Validation of a single-item measure.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Loneliness is a highly relevant public mental health issue. This work presents the validation of a single-item measure of loneliness and its subjective experience: "I am frequently alone/have few contacts". It can be used in large-scale population surveys where an economical assessment is of key importance.

Methods

Data was drawn from two representative German population surveys conducted in early and late 2020 (combined N = 4,984; 52.9% women; age: M = 48.39 years (SD = 17.88)). We determined the prevalence of loneliness in men and women across different age groups. In order to test concurrent validity, bivariate correlation analyses and Chi-square tests were performed. Convergent and discriminant validity were tested by investigating intercorrelations of the sin

SUBMITTER: Reinwarth AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10019616 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature