Three loneliness scales: an assessment of their measurement properties.

In loneliness research, there has not been a consensus concerning either the factorial structure of most loneliness scales or the factorial structure of each of the proposed dimensions of loneliness. We investigated theoretical and operational definitions, as well as the factorial structure, based on gender of three loneliness scales: the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, the Loneliness Deprivation Scale, and the Emotional/Social Loneliness Inventory. Unidimensional, best-fit models of the structures of these scales are presented.