Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, Short Form (SELSA-S) Test

Understand whether loneliness is romantic, social, or family-based in about 4 minutes. With 19 items, it pinpoints where support is missing to guide care and track progress.
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Questions194 minutes
Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.
08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
28,348 views
2,319 completions
1,916 likes
Verified by Daniel Hall
Psychologist with 25 years of experience
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How the Scales are Structured

example score
2/5
Romantic Emotional Loneliness (REL)
Measures perceived loneliness and emotional unfulfillment within romantic relationships.
Low
High
13.2Low3.35High
A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively little romantic emotional loneliness and generally adequate emotional satisfaction in romantic connection.
example score
3/5
Romantic Relationships (RR)
Measures perceived loneliness due to a lack of closeness and support in romantic relationships.
Low loneliness
High loneliness
13.9Low loneliness45High loneliness
A score of 3 suggests relatively low loneliness in romantic relationships, indicating generally adequate perceived closeness or support.
example score
2/5
Non-Family Emotional Loneliness (NFEL)
Measures perceived emotional loneliness in friendships by assessing closeness and emotional support from friends outside the family.
Low
High
12.9Low35High
A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting you generally experience adequate emotional closeness and support in relationships with friends.
example score
3/5
Family Emotional (FE)
Measures how emotionally isolated a person feels within their family relationships.
Low
Moderate
High
12.5Low2.63.7Moderate3.85High
A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme sense of emotional distance or insufficient support within the family circle.
example score
3/5
Loneliness (L)
Measures the overall intensity of social and emotional loneliness (perceived isolation and lack of support in close connections).
Low
Moderate
High
11.3Low1.42.8Moderate2.95High
A score of 3 falls in the High range, suggesting a pronounced sense of loneliness and perceived disconnection.
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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Feeling lonely in a crowd
41%OF USERS
Adults who have people around them but still feel emotionally disconnected and want to pinpoint whether it’s romantic, social, or family loneliness.
Navigating relationship changes
34%OF USERS
People going through a breakup, divorce, bereavement, or a new move who want to understand which connections feel most lacking right now.
Therapy and counseling clients
25%OF USERS
Clients working on anxiety, depression, or isolation who use the results to clarify therapy goals and track progress in specific relationship areas.
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly
Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.
AI-Powered
Interpretation
You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.
Statistical
Comparison
See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.
Practical
Recommendations
You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.
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Insights
Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.
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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.
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Used in 52+ countries
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See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
Romantic emotional (Re)
Average
2.6
Normal range
23.1
min.
1
max.
5
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
In romantic relationships (Irr)
Average
3
Normal range
2.33.7
min.
1
max.
5
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Non-family emotional (Ne)
Average
2.5
Normal range
1.83.1
min.
1
max.
5
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Family emotional (Fe)
Average
3
Normal range
2.43.6
min.
1
max.
5
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
Loneliness (L)
Average
3.7
Normal range
3.24.3
min.
1
max.
5
Majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.
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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?
It measures perceived loneliness across three domains: romantic, social, and family. It focuses on the sense of missing support or closeness in these relationships.
How long does it take and how many items are included?
Completion time is about 4 minutes. The questionnaire includes 19 items.
Who is this questionnaire intended for?
It is intended for adults. It can be used in clinical, counseling, and research settings to describe relationship-related loneliness.
How should responses be completed?
Answer each item based on typical feelings and experiences rather than a single event. Respond to all items and select the option that best fits.
How should results be interpreted?
Scores indicate which domain shows greater loneliness relative to the others. Results are not a diagnosis and should be interpreted alongside clinical or contextual information.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment

Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, Short Form (SELSA-S) Test - Symptoms and Signs

This instrument assesses perceived loneliness across key interpersonal domains in adult populations. The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, Short Form (SELSA-S) is intended to help differentiate patterns of loneliness related to romantic, family, and social relationships.

Developed by Daniel W. Russell, it consists of 19 items and typically requires about 4 minutes to complete. Responses can support clinical case formulation by clarifying whether perceived disconnection is most prominent in partner, family, or peer contexts. The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, Short Form (SELSA-S) may be used alongside other assessment data to inform treatment planning and to monitor change over time.

Author: Daniel W. Russell, letitia-anne-peplau
Literature: Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. W. W. Norton & Company. 2008.; DiTommaso, E., Brannen, C., & Best, L. A. Measurement and validity characteristics of the short version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 2004.
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