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Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA)3

Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA) Test

Pinpoint where loneliness shows up in your romantic, social, and family life in about 7 minutes. A trusted, research-based scale that supports targeted counseling and reliable screening.

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Questions: 377 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

26,242 views

2,940 completions

2,373 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

38/98

Social Loneliness (SL)

Assesses perceived social loneliness, reflecting how connected and supported a person feels within friendships and their broader social network.

Low

High

14 – 46: Low | 47 – 98: High

A score of 38 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively good perceived social connectedness with limited feelings of social isolation.

example score

19/77

Family (F)

Measures the degree of perceived disconnection and lack of emotional support within family relationships.

Low

High

11 – 32: Low | 33 – 77: High

A score of 19 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively little family-related loneliness and generally adequate perceived support or closeness in family relationships.

example score

30/84

Romantic Loneliness (RL)

Measures perceived loneliness and dissatisfaction in the romantic domain, reflecting the availability of close intimate support.

Low

High

12 – 58: Low | 59 – 84: High

A score of 30 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively little romantic loneliness and generally adequate perceived intimacy or support in this area.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Feeling disconnected in life

41%OF USERS

People who feel isolated or misunderstood take it to see whether the gap is mainly romantic, social, or family-related.

In therapy or counseling

34%OF USERS

Clients and their psychologists use it to pinpoint what kind of support is missing and track progress over time.

Researchers and social services

25%OF USERS

Specialists in studies, clinics, or community programs use it to assess loneliness patterns across groups and plan targeted help.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

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.

Social (S)

Average

48.6

Normal range

37.5 — 59.6

min.

max.

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 (F)

Average

59.3

Normal range

48.2 — 70.5

min.

max.

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.

Romantic (R)

Average

54.4

Normal range

42.6 — 66.2

min.

max.

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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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Below are statements that reflect different types of a person’s relationships with other people. Please read each statement carefully and indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each one.

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Not sure
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Not sure
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Disagree more than agree
- Not sure
- Agree more than disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 37 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA) Test - Symptoms and Signs

loneliness

aging

This self-report measure assesses perceived loneliness across multiple interpersonal domains. The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA) is designed to differentiate aspects of social connection and emotional closeness.

It consists of 37 items and typically takes about 7 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements reflecting experiences of romantic, family, and broader social connectedness, supporting domain-specific interpretation of perceived deficits in relationships.

The Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA) was developed by Daniel W. Russell and is commonly used in clinical, counseling, and research contexts to characterize loneliness-related concerns and to inform case conceptualization or outcomes monitoring when appropriate.

Author: Daniel W. Russell, Letitia Anne Peplau

Literature: Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer. 1984.; DiTommaso, E., Brannen, C., & Best, L. A. Measurement and validity characteristics of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA). Educational and Psychological Measurement. 2004.