Determinants of loneliness among Brazilian college students: Structure and correlates

Abstract

Loneliness is a subjective, and unpleasant experience. This paper aimed at investigating the psychometric features of the short version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6), and its correlates in a Brazilian sample. To achieve this purpose two studies were conducted. The first study examined the factor structure of the ULS-6, its internal consistency and measurement invariance (MI) by gender. The sample included 252 participants aged 18–28 years. They completed the ULS-6 and socio-demographic factors. The fit of the unidimensional model of the ULS-6 to the data was good, and reliability was adequate. Measurement invariance across genders was supported. Gender had no direct effect on loneliness. The second study explored the relationships between socio-demographic factors, personality traits and loneliness. Furthermore, this study evaluated the mediating role of body appreciation in the relationship between satisfaction with love life (SWLL) and loneliness. Financial security, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism were significant predictors of loneliness. The findings also demonstrated that higher levels of satisfaction with love life contributed to reduced loneliness, and that body appreciation mediated the relationship of SWLL with loneliness. Suggestions for future investigation are provided.