Validation of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) in the Czech Environment

Abstract Loneliness, a complex emotional state stemming from unmet social and personal needs, impacts both mental and physical health. The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) is a concise tool designed to capture both emotional and social dimensions of loneliness. This study evaluated the DJGLS’s psychometric properties in the Czech Republic, including its factor structure, reliability, and associations with related constructs, encompassing 3911 Czech adults. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that a second-order factor model comprising emotional and social loneliness factors demonstrated acceptable factor loadings and fit indices: $${\chi }^{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>χ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> (43) 1081.842; p &lt; 0.001; CFI = 0.923; TLI = 0.902; RMSEA = 0.079; SRMR = 0.051. Although its statistical fit was identical to a correlated two-factor model and was outperformed by a bifactor model, the second-order model was selected due to its theoretical coherence and interpretability. Other models incorporating a general loneliness factor and method factors related to item wording also displayed generally improved fit indices, though some items exhibited inconsistent factor loadings across certain models. Testing of measurement invariance indicated that the DJGLS demonstrated configural and metric invariance across gender groups, partnership statuses, and age groups. We found that males scored higher on the DJGLS than females, and higher DJGLS scores were associated with lower education and being single. Scores from the DJGLS demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s $$\alpha$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> </mml:math> = 0.83, McDonald’s $$\omega$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>ω</mml:mi> </mml:math> = 0.86) and good temporal stability ( r = 0.77). Furthermore, significant associations emerged between loneliness and anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. In addition, evidence for convergent validity was demonstrated by moderate correlations between the DJGLS and the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. These findings support the DJGLS’s utility as a valid and reliable tool for assessing loneliness and its dimensions in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, they enhance understanding of its links to mental well-being.