When did the question arise?
I was working on the data of 8-itemed UCLA Loneliness (ULS-8) and 9-itemed PHQ [2] (PHQ-9) scales. I found that in the study of PHQ-9 [2], the authors mentioned the 9 items as symptoms. However, in the study on the ULS-8 scale [1], the authors did not mention the 8 items as the symptom. I found similar criteria in the papers which conducted a study using the PHQ-9 (e.g., [3]) and ULS-8 scale (e.g., [4]). This raised the question: can the items of the UCLA Loneliness Scale not be called symptoms?
What do I think?
I understand that the items of the ULS-8 and PHQ-9 scales are different. In addition, one scale is used to assess loneliness whereas another one is used to assess depression. However, due to the following reasons, I think that the items of the UCLA loneliness scale can be called symptoms.
- The definition of symptom is "A physical or mental problem that a person experiences that may indicate a disease or condition" [5].
- It appears that the items (please, see Table 1 of [1]) of the ULS scale are symptoms of loneliness. Otherwise, they could not be used to assess loneliness (I think).
- Both depression and loneliness are psychological problems. Thus, if items of one scale (PHQ-9) can be called symptoms, items of the other scale (ULS-8) can also be called symptoms (I think).
Then, what did confuse me?
So far, I did not find a single reliable study that mentioned the items of the UCLA loneliness scale as the symptoms.
My question
Can the items (e.g., item 5: I feel isolated from others) of the UCLA Loneliness Scale not be called symptoms?
Thank you.
References
Dear Sabbir,
I would say that the term symptoms are reserved for latent constructs that convey medical (or paramedical) diagnoses, in which items convey a symptom of the diagnosis. Loneliness might be not that, a medical diagnosis. While depression, the construct measured by the PHQ-9, is (namely the diagnosis major depressive disorder as determined in the DSM-IV).
Hope this helps!
"Can the items (e.g., item 5: I feel isolated from others) of the UCLA Loneliness Scale not be called symptoms?"
If you talk about symptoms you need a diagnosis. Is loneliness a disorder? I would call the items signs of loneliness.
"I feel isolated from others" could be whatever: a sign of an underlying neurosis, personality disorder, general anxiety disorder, phobia and so on.
Now I see that Dr Erik van der Meulen has already presented the same line of thoughts.
Hi Sabbir,
I believe the items in UCLA would not be called symptoms as loneliness at present is not classified as a disorder. However, the PHQ measures depression, a disorder therefore the items would be called symptoms. Unless loneliness was classified as a psychiatric disorder it would not have symptoms
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