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Differential Loneliness Questionnaire

Online test

The questionnaire is based on existential concepts of how people perceive and experience loneliness. Within this framework, accepting loneliness as an inevitable part of human existence allows a person to view solitude in a new way — as a space for inner reflection, emotional recovery, and personal growth. In contrast, avoiding loneliness or feeling strong discomfort when alone often leads to a constant search for external interaction, which may become a way of escaping one’s own emotions and can hinder psychological development.

The full version of the questionnaire contains 40 statements grouped into several thematic subscales. Each subscale highlights a specific aspect of one’s attitude toward loneliness and solitude:

Online test

Instructions:

You will be presented with a series of statements. Please consider each one in turn and rate how strongly you agree with it by choosing one of four response options.

  1. I feel that I am in harmony with the people around me.
  2. I feel lonely.
  3. It is not very important to me whether other people are around.
  4. I lack friendly communication.
  5. When no one is around, I feel bored.
  6. I enjoy being alone with myself.
  7. There are no people with whom I feel truly close.
  8. I feel like part of a group of friends.
  9. I do not like being alone.
  10. There is no one I can turn to.
  11. Lonely people need help.
  12. I find it difficult to find people with whom I can share my thoughts.
  13. I have little in common with the people around me.
  14. I enjoy daydreaming in solitude.
  15. I always feel a lack of communication.
  16. Interesting ideas come to me when I am alone.
  17. If a person is lonely, it means they have problems with communication.
  18. It is hard for me to be away from people.
  19. There are feelings one can experience only when alone.
  20. There are people who truly understand me.
  21. There are people I can talk to.
  22. To understand certain important things, a person needs to be alone.
  23. When I am alone, I do not feel unpleasant emotions.
  24. I feel abandoned.
  25. My mind works better in solitude.
  26. A family is necessary because it helps protect a person from loneliness.
  27. People are around me, but not with me.
  28. In solitude, a person discovers their true self.
  29. My social connections are not deep.
  30. I cannot tolerate the absence of company.
  31. In solitude, I feel like myself.
  32. The worst thing you can do to a person is to leave them alone.
  33. Being deprived of communication is no easier than being deprived of water and food.
  34. It seems to me that no one understands me.
  35. When I am alone, only gloomy thoughts come to mind.
  36. I feel good at home when I am alone.
  37. When I am alone, I feel discomfort.
  38. Even when alone, one may not feel lonely.
  39. Without communication, a person loses themselves.
  40. In solitude, everyone sees themselves as they truly are.