Detecting loneliness among late adolescents: Validation and testing of a detection tool based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale: Validation and testing of a detection tool based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale

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Titel: Detecting loneliness among late adolescents: Validation and testing of a detection tool based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale: Validation and testing of a detection tool based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale
Autoren: Anne Bo, Berit Kjærside Nielsen, Astrid Fyrstenborg Christensen, Julie Christiansen, Pamela Qualter, Mathilde Graulund Severinsen, Mathias Lasgaard
Quelle: Ann N Y Acad Sci
Bo, A, Kjærside Nielsen, B, Christensen, A F, Christiansen, J, Qualter, P, Severinsen, M G & Lasgaard, M 2025, 'Detecting loneliness among late adolescents : Validation and testing of a detection tool based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale', Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1548, no. 1, pp. 148-162. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15316
Verlagsinformationen: Wiley, 2025.
Publikationsjahr: 2025
Schlagwörter: loneliness, psychometric validation, cognitive interviews, Original Article, adolescents, detection tool, school-based intervention, feasibility test, UCLA-9, pilot test
Beschreibung: The high prevalence of loneliness among adolescents, combined with their tendency to conceal it, highlights the need for strategies that identify and support those youth who experience loneliness. This study aimed to validate and test a detection tool for late adolescents within educational settings in Denmark. The tool, which was based on nine items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA‐9), underwent a three‐stage refinement and testing process. In Stage 1, psychometric analyses and cognitive interviews investigated the reliability, validity, and usability of the tool among adolescents ages 16–20 years; potential cut‐off scores for identification of cases on the three‐dimensional scale were explored. Stage 2 involved a feasibility test in three educational institutions. Field observations and qualitative interviews with participants offered insights and recommendations for implementation of the tool in educational settings. Stage 3 involved 1728 students engaged in the Danish Lift program run in three municipalities. Among those youth, the refined UCLA‐9 demonstrated robust psychometric properties, identifying 9% of adolescents as cases with a cut‐off score of ≥10 on each subscale. The UCLA‐9 showed promise in identifying adolescents experiencing loneliness, which often co‐occurred with poor mental health. Challenges remain in determining appropriate cut‐off scores for the identification of cases.
Publikationsart: Article
Other literature type
Sprache: English
ISSN: 1749-6632
0077-8923
DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15316
Zugangs-URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40296195
https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/a12d546e-4492-4ec9-8f1a-18b86e4d256c
https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15316
Rights: CC BY NC
Dokumentencode: edsair.doi.dedup.....fa7315d5f27dfb2a5f31f8096d615c36
Datenbank: OpenAIRE
Beschreibung
Abstract:The high prevalence of loneliness among adolescents, combined with their tendency to conceal it, highlights the need for strategies that identify and support those youth who experience loneliness. This study aimed to validate and test a detection tool for late adolescents within educational settings in Denmark. The tool, which was based on nine items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA‐9), underwent a three‐stage refinement and testing process. In Stage 1, psychometric analyses and cognitive interviews investigated the reliability, validity, and usability of the tool among adolescents ages 16–20 years; potential cut‐off scores for identification of cases on the three‐dimensional scale were explored. Stage 2 involved a feasibility test in three educational institutions. Field observations and qualitative interviews with participants offered insights and recommendations for implementation of the tool in educational settings. Stage 3 involved 1728 students engaged in the Danish Lift program run in three municipalities. Among those youth, the refined UCLA‐9 demonstrated robust psychometric properties, identifying 9% of adolescents as cases with a cut‐off score of ≥10 on each subscale. The UCLA‐9 showed promise in identifying adolescents experiencing loneliness, which often co‐occurred with poor mental health. Challenges remain in determining appropriate cut‐off scores for the identification of cases.
ISSN:17496632
00778923
DOI:10.1111/nyas.15316