Assessing Social Loneliness

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the nuances of your loneliness can be pivotal for your well-being. Loneliness manifests in two fundamental forms: social and emotional loneliness (Weiss, 1973). Social loneliness arises from the absence of a broader social network or engaging group of contacts, while emotional loneliness stems from the lack of an intimate relationship or close emotional attachment.

Both social isolation and perceived loneliness – the sensation of being alone, even in the company of others – are significant risk factors for compromised health and well-being. Loneliness exists on a spectrum, encompassing various levels of emotional loneliness, where one feels disconnected from others’ emotional experiences and lacks a confidant, and social loneliness, where one feels distant from others in a broader social context.

This assessment aims to gauge your current loneliness levels compared to others and offers strategies to alleviate these feelings.

This quiz is designed to foster greater awareness of brain health but is not intended to replace the expertise of medical or mental health professionals. For more information about the role of quizzes on GetBrainHealthy, read more here.

Inspired by the following research works:

Weiss, R. (1975). Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. MIT press.

De Jong Gierveld, J., & Van Tilburg, T. (2010). The De Jong Gierveld short scales for emotional and social loneliness: tested on data from 7 countries in the UN generations and gender surveys. European journal of ageing, 7, 121-130. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921057/