Summary
PROMIS Short Form v2.0 - Social Isolation 4a is a four-item adult PROMIS short form measuring perceived social isolation.
The form asks about feeling left out, feeling that people barely know the person, feeling isolated from others, and feeling that people are around but not with the person. Each item uses the same response scale: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Usually, Always.
Scoring
Each item is scored from 1 to 5:
- Never = 1
- Rarely = 2
- Sometimes = 3
- Usually = 4
- Always = 5
The raw summed score range is 4 to 20. Higher raw scores indicate more frequent social isolation experiences.
PROMIS scoring converts the raw summed score to a T-score using the official PROMIS Social Isolation 4a conversion table. PROMIS T-scores have a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10. For negatively worded concepts such as Social Isolation, a higher T-score represents worse social isolation.
Interpretation
Higher scores indicate greater social isolation.
PROMIS adult Social Isolation cut points classify T-scores as:
- Less than 55: Within normal limits
- 55 to less than 60: Mild
- 60 to less than 70: Moderate
- 70 or higher: Severe
Interpretation should consider the T-score, severity band, change over time, and the person’s wider clinical and social context.
Suggested actions
For scores within normal limits, no social-isolation-specific follow-up is suggested by this screen alone, although the result can still be considered with the wider assessment.
For mild scores, consider a brief discussion about social connection, recent life changes, supports, and whether the result matches the person’s own concerns.
For moderate or severe scores, consider more active follow-up. Explore social supports, practical barriers to connection, mood, grief, caring responsibilities, mobility, transport, safety, digital access, and whether referral or community connection options are appropriate.
If scores are worsening over time or remain elevated, consider clinical review and whether a broader psychosocial assessment is needed.
References
HealthMeasures. PROMIS SF v2.0 - Social Isolation 4a. https://www.healthmeasures.net/administrator/components/com_instruments/uploads/PROMIS%20SF%20v2.0%20-%20Social%20Isolation%204a%2002-18-2018.pdf
HealthMeasures. PROMIS Social Isolation Scoring Manual. 05 Dec 2023. https://www.healthmeasures.net/administrator/components/com_instruments/uploads/PROMIS%20Social%20Isolation%20Scoring%20Manual_05Dec2023.pdf
HealthMeasures. PROMIS Adult Social Isolation score cut points. https://www.healthmeasures.net/images/PROMIS/PROMIS_Score_Cut_Points/2025_Revisions_Adult/PROMIS_Social_Isolation_Feb25.png
