LEI
Loneliness Experience Inventory
This exploratory questionnaire describes the forms perceived loneliness takes: the absence of a close bond, a limited social network, the feeling of not belonging to any group, and the sense of being misunderstood. It also explores what keeps the person from reaching out to others and the impact on mood, to focus the work on the kind of connection that is most lacking.
- Number of questions
- 24 questions
- Estimated duration
- 6 minutes
- Language
- English
- Original name
- Loneliness Experience Inventory
- Target audience
- Adults
- Category
- Interpersonal issues
- Exploratory questionnaire
- Exploratory questionnaire
Preview of the 24 questions
Scoring & interpretation
Scoring
| Social loneliness | 9 / 16 |
Lack of a network of friends, contacts, and shared activities.
Areas to explore: how often the person is in contact with others, opportunities to go out, ties that have loosened (a move, work, a separation, retirement).
| Barriers to connection | 8 / 16 |
What holds the person back from reaching out: fear of rejection, mistrust, awkwardness, a habit of withdrawing.
Areas to explore: thoughts before reaching out to someone, experiences of rejection, possible social anxiety, expectations of others.
See also: Anxiety Forms Inventory.
| Emotional loneliness | 7 / 16 |
Lack of a close, intimate bond, of someone with whom to share what one is really going through.
Areas to explore: current and past close relationships, recent losses or breakups, what is missing in existing relationships.
| Belonging | 6 / 16 |
The feeling of not being part of any group or community (work, neighborhood, clubs and organizations, friends).
Areas to explore: the groups the person has belonged to, those that appeal to them, what keeps them from getting involved.
| Feeling misunderstood | 5 / 16 |
A sense of being out of step with others, of not being understood or seen for who one is.
Areas to explore: the topics on which the person feels misunderstood, the gap they feel (values, life path, difference), the people who do understand them.
| Impact | 4 / 16 |
Effects of loneliness on mood, boredom, and the organization of daily life.
Areas to explore: the hardest times (evenings, weekends, holidays), mood, the habits that fill the emptiness.
No validated clinical or psychometric cutoffs have been established for this test yet. The results should therefore be considered exploratory indicators, meant to support the clinical interview, not diagnostic findings.
Scoring
Each statement is scored from 0 (never) to 4 (very often) based on its frequency over the past month. Each domain combines 4 statements spread throughout the questionnaire, giving a score from 0 to 16.
Reading the profile
There is no total score. Domains are ranked from most to least elevated, each with a description of what it covers and points to explore in the interview. The profile distinguishes emotional loneliness (lack of a close bond) from social loneliness (lack of a network) and from a lack of belonging, which are not addressed in the same way. The "Barriers to connection" domain shows what keeps the isolation going.
Limitations
This exploratory questionnaire has not undergone psychometric validation and has no cutoffs. It supports the clinical interview and does not provide a diagnosis.
What psychologists think
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