Comparison of ULS-6 scores, GDS scores and prevalence of major depressive episodes between not-empty-nest and empty-nest older adults
| Variable | Not-empty-nest (n=479) | Empty-nest (n=335) | χ2/t | Cohen’s d | p Value |
| ULS-6 score (mean±SD) | 12.87±3.02 | 16.19±3.90 | 13.08 | 0.97 | 0.000 |
| GDS score (mean±SD) | 6.92±5.19 | 8.50±6.26 | 3.80 | 0.28 | 0.000 |
| Major depressive episode (N, %) | 22 (4.6) | 34 (10.1) | 9.500 | – | 0.003 |
GDS, Geriatric Depression Scale; ULS-6, UCLA-Loneliness Scale.
Cohen’s d effect size: low significance (0.2–0.5), moderate significance (0.5–0.8), high significance (>0.8).