[A shortened scale for overall, emotional and social loneliness].

Loneliness is an indicator of social well-being and pertains to the feeling of missing an intimate relationship (emotional loneliness) or missing a wider social network (social loneliness). The 11-item De Jong Gierveld scale has proved to be a valid and reliable measuring instrument for overall, emotional and social loneliness, although its length has sometimes rendered it difficult to use the scale in large surveys. In this study, we empirically tested a shortened version of the scale on data from two surveys (N=9448). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the specification of two latent factors. Congruent validity and the relationship with determinants (partner status, health) proved to be optimal. The 6-item De Jong Gierveld scale is a reliable and valid measuring instrument for overall, emotional and social loneliness, which is suitable for large surveys.