Loneliness concerns the subjective evaluation of the situation individuals are involved in, characterized either by a number
of relationships with friends and colleagues which is smaller than is considered desirable (social loneliness), as well as
situations where the intimacy in confidant relationships one wishes for has not been realized (emotional loneliness). To identify
people who are lonely direct questions are not sufficient; loneliness scales are preferred. In this article, the quality of
the three-item scale for emotional loneliness and the three-item scale for social loneliness has been investigated for use
in the following countries participating in the United Nations “Generations and Gender Surveys”: France, Germany, the Netherlands,
Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Japan. Sample sizes for the 7 countries varied between 8,158 and 12,828. Translations of the
De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale have been tested using reliability and validity tests including a confirmatory factor analysis
to test the two-dimensional structure of loneliness. Test outcomes indicated for each of the countries under investigation
reliable and valid scales for emotional and social loneliness, respectively.
Keywords Loneliness scale - Emotional loneliness - Social loneliness - Partner status - Health