University Of California At Los Angeles Loneliness Scale Research Articles

Older people with severe loneliness have an atrophied thalamus, hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex.

Loneliness has been shown to increase the risk of dementia. However, it is unclear why greater loneliness is associated with greater susceptibility to dementia. Herein, we aimed to examine the morphological characteristics of the brain associated with loneliness in older people concerned about cognitive dysfunction. In this retrospective study, 110 participants (80 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 30 cognitively healthy individuals) were included. Participants were assessed using the revised University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale and had undergone magnetic resonance imaging. Spearman correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to examine the clinical factors associated with loneliness. Multiple regression was performed to examine the relationship between the revised UCLA loneliness scale score and regional gray matter (GM) volume on voxel-based morphometry. The revised UCLA loneliness scale scores were not significantly correlated with age, sex, or mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores. Multiple regression using age, sex, MMSE score, and total brain volume as covariates showed negative correlations of the revised UCLA loneliness scale scores with the grey matter volume in regions centered on the bilateral thalamus, left hippocampus and left parahippocampal gyrus, and left entorhinal area. Subjective loneliness was associated with decreased GM volume in the bilateral thalamus, left hippocampus, and left entorhinal cortex of the brain in the older people, thereby providing a morphological basis for the increased risk of dementia associated with greater loneliness.

The Psychosocial Burden on Liver Transplant Recipients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Due to the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, multiple measures have been implemented including social distancing and curfews. Both the disease and measures might cause stress, particularly in persons at risk, such as liver transplant (LT) recipients. Here, we evaluated the impact on psychosocial well-being of LT recipients. Methods: Seventy-nine LT recipients and 83 nontransplanted controls participated in this study. Questionnaires comprising the WHO-five well-being index (WHO-5), the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, and the preliminary COVID-19 Pandemic Mental Health Questionnaire (CoPaQ) were distributed among them. For the WHO-5 and UCLA Loneliness Scale, means of sum scores were compared between both groups, while a comparison on item level was conducted for the CoPaQ. Results: The general well-being was similar in LT recipients and controls (WHO-5: 64.0 ± 20.5% vs. 66.4 ± 17.3%), while the UCLA Loneliness Scale indicated a higher level of perceived social isolation (1.90 ± 0.51 vs. 1.65 ± 0.53, p = 0.001). The CoPaQ indicated higher risk perception regarding health issues, in particular concerning the fear of having severe consequences in case of a COVID-19 infection (3.1 ± 1.1 vs. 2.2 ± 1.3, p < 0.001), higher risk-avoiding behavior and stronger adherence to pandemic measures in LT recipients. Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, LT recipients displayed a higher risk perception, a more pronounced risk-avoiding behavior and a higher perception of loneliness, while the overall well-being was comparable to nontransplanted controls.

Importance of loneliness in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Loneliness is considered to be a crucial factor in mental health of elderly people. However, the effects of loneliness on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have not been fully examined. The aim of this study was to investigate whether loneliness in patients with dementia is related to BPSD. A total of 152 patients with dementia were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-12) and the revised University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale. Spearman correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to examine factors associated with the revised UCLA loneliness scale. Logistic regression analysis with a forced entry method was performed to identify risk factors for BPSD. The revised UCLA loneliness scale score was not significantly associated with age, years of education, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, gender, living status, visual impairment, hearing impairment, and marital status. However, this score was a significant predictor of NPI delusion and hallucination subscale scores and Geriatric Depression Scale-15 score. The MMSE score was a significant predictor of NPI anxiety and apathy subscale scores. Loneliness is a risk factor for BPSD, especially for depressive symptoms and psychosis. Paying attention to loneliness in patients with dementia will help medical staff to intervene in psychiatric symptoms of these patients at an early stage.

Empty-nest-related psychological distress is associated with progression of brain white matter lesions and cognitive impairment in the elderly

This study evaluated the association between empty-nest-related psychological distress and the progression of white matter lesions (WMLs) and cognitive impairment in 219 elderly subjects aged 60 years or over. Psychological distress was assessed using the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Short-Form. Cognitive function was evaluated using the MMSE and MoCA. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. After 5.2-year follow-up, the reductions in MMSE and MoCA scores and the increases in periventricular (P)WMH, deep (D)WMH, and total WMH volumes in the empty-nest elderly were greater than those in the non-empty-nest elderly (P < 0.05). The reduced MMSE and MoCA scores and increased volumes of PWMH and total WMH in the empty-nest elderly living alone were greater than those in the empty-nest elderly living with a spouse (P < 0.05). UCLA-LS and GDS scores were significantly and independently associated with reduced MMSE and MoCA scores and the increased volumes of PWMH, DWMH, and total WMH. The results indicate that empty-nest-related psychological distress is associated with progression of WMLs and cognitive impairment in the elderly.

Correlates of loneliness among older Newar adults in Nepal.

The purpose of this study was to identify significant factors for loneliness in older adults The subjects (N = 195) were members of the Newar caste/ethnicity, aged 60 years and above (mean(+/- SD) 68.81 (+/- 7.69) years and 52% male) and living in Katmandu City. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a three-item loneliness scale, developed based on the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and prepared with a translation and back translation technique from English into Nepalese. The data were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. More than two-thirds of Newar elderly experience some type of loneliness. A statistically significant correlation was found between feelings of loneliness and age, sex, household status, total family size, network size, social participation, self-reported health, chronic health problems, working status, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and perceived economic satisfaction. Results of logistic regression analyses showed age, network size, and perceived economic satisfaction to be significant factors for loneliness. Loneliness is an important public health issue, predicting low quality of life among older adults. The present results indicate many elderly Nepalese experience some form of loneliness, with age, network size and perceived economic satisfaction as significant factors. However, this result may not be generalized to the greater population of Nepalese older adults and the external validity of the UCLA Loneliness Scale is an important criterion to examine in future research.

Life satisfaction, loneliness and related factors during female midlife

BackgroundStudies assessing life satisfaction and feelings of loneliness in mid-aged women are scarce. ObjectiveTo assess loneliness, life satisfaction and related factors in mid-aged Spanish women. MethodThis was a cross sectional study in which 182 women aged 40 to 65 completed the menopause rating scale (MRS), the University of California at Los Angeles loneliness scale (UCLA-LS), the life satisfaction index A (LSI-A), and a general socio-demographic questionnaire containing personal/partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also computed. ResultsMedian [interquartile range] age of the sample was 51 [9.0] years. A 55.5% were postmenopausal, 47.3% had increased body mass index (BMI) values, 57.7% were abdominally obese, 1.6% had hypertension and 86.3% had a stable partner. In addition, 4.9% used hormone therapy and 19.2% psychotropic drugs. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher UCLA-LS scores (more loneliness) correlated with MRS psychological scores, partner alcohol abuse, living in urban areas, lower LSI-A scores (less life satisfaction) and not having a stable partner. Lower LSI-A scores (worse life satisfaction) correlated with severe female economical problems, BMI values and UCLA-LS and MRS psychological scores. ConclusionLoneliness and life satisfaction in this mid-aged female sample was influenced by personal and partner issues which seem to play a much more relevant role than biological aspects. More research is warranted in this regard.

Validation of the Brief Screen for Depression in a Jamaican cohort

Research on depression in Jamaicans has been limited by the absence of a psychometrically sound measure of depression. This project attempts to rectify this problem by exploring the concurrent and discriminant validity of the Brief Screen for Depression (BSD) using a sample of 244 students attending the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Participants were administered the BSD along with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale - Revised, (UCLA-R) and the Responding Desirably on Attitudes and Opinions scale (RD16). Overall, the BSD was found to have an acceptable level of concurrent validity as evidenced by high correlations with scores on the BDI (0.64) and the CES-D (0.62), and an acceptable level of discriminant validity as demonstrated through moderate correlations with the UCLA Loneliness Scale (0.40). In addition, the BSD was found to possess a moderate degree of sensitivity in identifying individuals who may be experiencing clinically significant symptoms of depression.