Summary
The ONS Loneliness Direct Measure is a single-item direct loneliness question. The eHealthier PROM asks: “How often do you feel lonely?”
It is designed as a brief screen of self-reported loneliness frequency, not as a diagnostic assessment. The result should be interpreted alongside the person’s context, preferences, supports, and any other relevant clinical or psychosocial information.
Scoring
The eHealthier build scores the five response options from 1 to 5:
- Never = 1
- Hardly ever = 2
- Occasionally = 3
- Some of the time = 4
- Often/always = 5
The total score range is 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate more frequent loneliness.
Interpretation
This is a direct frequency measure. A higher score means the person reports feeling lonely more often.
The score is best used to open a conversation and to track direction over time. A lower score over time suggests less frequent loneliness. A higher score over time suggests more frequent loneliness and may warrant discussion of social connection, support needs, barriers to participation, recent life changes, and whether further assessment is appropriate.
Because this is a single-item screen, avoid over-interpreting small changes or treating the score alone as a diagnosis.
Suggested actions
For lower scores, no loneliness-specific follow-up is suggested by this screen alone, although the result can still be considered with the wider assessment.
For mid-range scores such as “Occasionally”, consider asking whether loneliness is distressing, persistent, or linked to modifiable circumstances.
For higher-frequency responses such as “Some of the time” or “Often/always”, consider a brief supportive discussion about social connection, practical barriers, existing supports, safety, mood, grief, caring responsibilities, mobility, transport, digital access, and whether referral or community connection options are appropriate.
If loneliness is persistent, worsening, or associated with broader psychosocial concerns, consider using a fuller loneliness measure or clinical review.
References
Office for National Statistics. National Measurement of Loneliness. 2018. National Measurement of Loneliness - Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics. Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: How often do you feel lonely? November 2022 to February 2023. Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: How often do you feel lonely? November 2022 to February 2023 - Office for National Statistics