Loneliness Test - How Lonely Do You Feel Right Now?

01What this loneliness test tells you

You can spend time with people and still feel that no one understands you. This test uses 20 questions about everyday connections and belonging to help you reflect on how lonely you feel right now.

Your results include a loneliness score, one of five levels, an explanation for that level, and suggestions for thinking about your connections with others.

02Loneliness and being alone are different

Loneliness is the distressing feeling of a gap between the connections you want and those you feel you have. The number of people around you does not tell the whole story.

Loneliness

How you feel

Feeling emotionally distant even in a group.

Social isolation

Your connections

Having few social contacts or relationships to rely on.

Chosen time alone

How you spend time

Spending time alone and feeling at ease.

Living alone does not necessarily mean feeling lonely, and having many friends does not rule out loneliness. Chosen time alone and unwanted loneliness are different experiences.

03What will you reflect on?

The questions explore everyday relationships and experiences, including the following themes.

Feeling understood

Whether you can share your feelings and your authentic self with someone.

Feeling that you belong

Whether you feel part of your school

Having someone to turn to

Whether you have someone to discuss a problem with or simply chat to.

How social contact feels

How you usually feel about conversations and meeting new people.

These are themes in the questions, not separate scored dimensions. Choose answers that fit how you feel now, rather than how you would like to feel.

04Your score and five result levels

Your answers produce a loneliness score for this test and one of five levels. The descriptions below offer a brief guide to reading each level.

Answer 20 questions

See your score and level

Read your explanation

Use the score, level, and explanation together to reflect on your current feelings.

Quite Low Loneliness

Your answers suggest quite low loneliness at present. Consider which connections help you feel secure and supported.

Slightly Low Loneliness

Your answers suggest a lower level of loneliness at present. Reflect on how you experience both social contact and time alone.

Average Level of Loneliness

Your answers fall in the middle range of this test. Consider both the situations where you feel lonely and those where you feel at ease.

Slightly High Loneliness

Your answers suggest a somewhat higher level of loneliness. This may be a starting point for exploring a wish to feel more understood or connected.

Significantly High Loneliness

Your answers suggest a high level of loneliness at present. Take distress seriously and consider using your result to start a conversation with someone you trust.

The percentage is a score within this test, not a probability of illness or a ranking against other people. “Average Level” is a result label; it does not establish that your score matches a population average.

05Loneliness research and this test

Researchers use questionnaires to ask people about their experience of loneliness. The UCLA Loneliness Scale and the University of the Philippines Loneliness Assessment Scale (UPLAS) are examples of researched measures. This test draws on these scales and also includes its own questions.

This is not an administration of either original scale. Research on those scales does not establish the accuracy of this site's 20 questions or its scoring system. This test cannot provide a medical diagnosis or determine your personality or suitability for a job.

A starting point for putting feelings into words

Loneliness can change with your circumstances and over time. Chosen time alone can offer rest and reflection, while persistent, unwanted loneliness is a different experience. Prolonged loneliness and social isolation have been linked to mental and physical health problems. If distress or difficulties in daily life persist, speak to someone you trust or a qualified professional, regardless of your score.