Tools Loneliness Test
How lonely am I, really?
This free loneliness test uses the UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale, the short questionnaire used in large U.S. health surveys. Answer three questions about the past few weeks to get your score from 3 to 9, see where it falls, and find simple next steps.
Your result
If you are struggling right now, you do not have to wait. In the U.S., call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and available 24/7. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
What to focus on next
This is a screening score, not a diagnosis. It shows how often you feel lonely, not what is causing it.
Beyond loneliness
Loneliness is one signal. Your social wealth is the bigger picture.
The free Social assessment looks at your relationships, community, communication and support network, and scores your social wealth from 0 to 100 with prioritized next steps. It is one of the eight free, two-minute assessments that make up your Wealth Score. No sign-up needed.
- Financial
- Retirement
- Security
- Medical
- Physical
- Mental
- Social
- Time
Curious what social wealth means? Read the Social Wealth guide.
How this test works
The questions come from the three-item loneliness scale that Mary Elizabeth Hughes, Linda Waite, Louise Hawkley and John Cacioppo published in 2004. They shortened the 20-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale so it could be asked by phone in large surveys, and found the short version measures overall loneliness well. It is now used in major U.S. aging studies such as the Health and Retirement Study. The three questions are:
- How often do you feel that you lack companionship?
- How often do you feel left out?
- How often do you feel isolated from others?
Score = sum of three answers (hardly ever = 1, some of the time = 2, often = 3), from 3 to 9
The scale has no official cut-off. This tool uses the one researchers commonly apply: a total of 6 to 9 is classed as lonely and 3 to 5 as not lonely. A 2022 study of a nationally representative sample of older U.S. adults used the same 6-or-more cut-point. Within 3 to 5, a score of 3 means you answered “hardly ever” every time.
The optional connection check is kept separate on purpose. Loneliness is how you feel about your relationships; the number of people around you is a different thing, and the two do not always match. If you want to grow your circle, how to make friends as an adult walks through what works, and the best apps to make friends compares the platforms built for it.
A short scale like this one is a snapshot, not a diagnosis. Your score can change with a move, a breakup, a new job or a hard season, and it says nothing about why you feel the way you do.
Words you’ll see
- Loneliness
- The painful feeling that your relationships fall short of what you need, in number or in closeness. It is subjective: two people with the same social life can feel very differently.
- Social isolation
- Having few relationships or little contact with others. It can be counted, while loneliness can only be felt, and either can happen without the other.
- Social connection
- The structure, function and quality of your relationships: how many people you have, how much they support you, and how close you feel to them.
- UCLA Loneliness Scale
- The most widely used questionnaire for measuring loneliness, first developed at the University of California, Los Angeles. The three-item version on this page is its short form for surveys.
Common questions
What is the UCLA 3-item loneliness scale?
It is a three-question version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, published by Hughes, Waite, Hawkley and Cacioppo in 2004 for large surveys. It asks how often you feel you lack companionship, feel left out and feel isolated from others, each answered hardly ever, some of the time or often. Scores run from 3 to 9, and higher means lonelier.
What score counts as lonely on the 3-item loneliness scale?
There is no official cut-off, but researchers commonly treat a total of 6 or more as lonely and 3 to 5 as not lonely. A score of 6 means you answered at least “some of the time” to every question, or “often” to at least one.
How common is loneliness in the U.S.?
Very common. The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory reported that about half of U.S. adults reported measurable levels of loneliness even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeling lonely is a signal to reconnect, not a personal failing.
Is being lonely the same as being alone?
No. Loneliness is the painful feeling that your relationships fall short of what you need, while social isolation means having few relationships or little contact. You can feel lonely in a crowded life, or content with only a few close people.
What should I do if I feel lonely all the time?
Start small: reach out to one person you already know, and join something that meets regularly so you see the same people often. If loneliness comes with low mood or hopelessness, talk with a doctor or counselor. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and available 24/7.
Sources
- A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results From Two Population-Based Studies, Hughes, Waite, Hawkley and Cacioppo, Research on Aging (2004)
- A single question assessment of loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationally-representative study, Kotwal et al., Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2022)
- Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2023)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. It is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis or medical advice. If you are worried about your mental health, talk with a doctor or licensed mental health professional. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S., or call 911 in an emergency.