Abstract
This research aims to develop and validate a Spanish version of The Brief Scale of Fear of Loneliness (BSFL). Participants were 1385 youth and adults, 347 from a pilot sample and 1032 from the final version, whose ages were in the range of 18 to 40 years. Two instruments, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, in their Peruvian versions, were used to support the relationship with other variables. Results show that the BSFL should be interpreted as a one-dimensional measure, the same ones that were examined at the exploratory level and verified at the confirmatory moment (RMSEA < 0.08, CFI > 0.95), and its reliability is considered good (ω > 0.88). In addition, the quality of the item content was reviewed by six expert judges for relevance and validity, with Aiken’s V being greater than 0.70. It is concluded that the BSFL is a valid and precise short instrument that can be used in future research studies.
Highlights
Loneliness is a frequent event in youth and adulthood and for many years it has been known that the prevalence reaches 69% (Parlee, 1979) and that there is a concern about feeling alone in this age group (YOUGOV, 2016)
There is no instrument that assesses the fear of loneliness
Regarding the evidence of validity, the content of the items was reviewed through the judgment of experts who found high representativeness and relevance of the items in the Brief Scale of Fear of Loneliness (BSFL), which is often a forgotten action, but one that is necessary (International Test Commission [ITC], 2018)
Summary
It has been known for a long time that 71% of people between 18 and years old report feeling lonely sometimes or often, and between and 34 years old the figure drops slightly to 69% (Parlee, 1979). Recent figures reveal 17% of people between 18 to years old and to 35 years old said they felt alone quite often and very often, respectively, experiencing anxiety and concern about feeling alone (YOUGOV, 2016). Likewise, according to a prevalence study carried out in the United Kingdom, it is known that women under 25 years of age present greater amounts of loneliness than men, with 9 and 6% respectively, claiming to always feel alone (Victor and Yang, 2012). Loneliness includes deficiencies, disagreements, isolation, and psychological pain manifested in sadness, boredom, and a feeling of emptiness (Stein and Tuval-Mashiach, 2015)
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