Author(s)

Polyxeni Pikea¹, Efi Parpa², Eleni Tsilika², Antonis Galanos², Kyriaki Mystakidou^2*

¹OKANA, Antidrug Center, Athens, Greece.
²Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Department of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Aims: The aim of this study was to validate the Greek translation of the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA) in Greek adults with HIV. Methods: The UCLA Loneliness scale (version 3) was administered to 140 people with HIV. Participants also completed the Greek Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (G-HADS). Validity and reliability analyses were performed. Results: The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the total UCLA score was 0.9. Test-retest reliability analysis in a subgroup of patients (n = 40) revealed good short-term stability over a 2-week interval (ICC 0.8 - 0.9, p < 0.0005). Exploratory factor analysis generated a three factors structure for the Greek translation. Convergent validity was supported through the scale’s high correlations with G-HADS anxiety (0.382, p < 0.01) and depression (0.524, p < 0.005). Conclusion: The Greek UCLA Loneliness scale (version 3) is a valid and reliable instrument that can be usefully implemented into clinical practice in order to diagnose and treat loneliness among the Greek HIV positive patients.

UCLA Loneliness Scale, People with HIV, Reliability, Validity

Pikea, P. , Parpa, E. , Tsilika, E. , Galanos, A. and Mystakidou, K. (2016) Psychometric Properties of the Greek-University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale-Version 3 in a Sample of People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. World Journal of AIDS, 6, 157-168. doi: 10.4236/wja.2016.64018.