Factors related to loneliness

To examine the relations of sex, age, and alcohol with loneliness, 294 subjects completed the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, a 20-item rating scale which measures satisfaction and dissatisfaction with current social relationships. A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance of the loneliness scores indicated a significant main effect for age, with older subjects rating loneliness higher than younger subjects. There was also a significant interaction between age and alcohol use. Older subjects who reported consuming alcohol on more days also rated loneliness higher whereas younger subjects who reported consuming alcohol on more days were least lonely.