title: [Reference standards for the loneliness scale].
abstract: This article focuses on the cutting scores for the measurement of loneliness on the Loneliness Scale. A cutting score is used to distinguish the lonely from the not lonely. Data have been analyzed relating to interviews with 3,823 respondents (54-89 years old) who live independently. Use has been made of the individuals' self-assessed level of loneliness. More than would be the case with arbitrary cutting scores, this is in keeping with the individuals' own perception. The figures show that 68% of the elderly persons in the Netherlands are not lonely, 28% are moderately lonely, and 4% are quite lonely. Previous research used a lower cutting score and, consequently, observed that much more people are lonely.
authors.affiliation: Inderdisciplinair Demografisch Instituut, Den Haag en VUA. TilburgTGvan@scw.vu.nl
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: van Tilburg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Jong Gierveld
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012647:Self-Assessment