Although often treated as a singular construct, social isolation can assume an interpersonal or an existential form (Yalom, 1980). Here we develop an individual difference measure of existential isolation, or, isolation with regard to one's experience of reality (Pinel, Long, Landau, & Pyszczynski, 2004; Yalom, 1980). We detail the validation of the Existential Isolation Scale and provide evidence of its convergent, discriminant, and criterion validities (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, we show that levels of existential isolation remain stable over a two-week period (Study 3), but also change as expected among those primed with the construct (Study 3). In the discussion, we review research that further establishes the uniqueness of this construct and its relevance to understanding the causes and consequences associated with social isolation more broadly construed.

Objective To investigate the current epidemiology of menstrual patters among women of fertile age. Design Cross‐sectional postal questionnaire study. Setting County of Copenhagen, Denmark. Subjects 3743 women, aged 15–14, selected at random from a Danish county, who were asked to provide information on menstrual pattern during the preceding year, 1981. The response rate was 78%. Information from non‐responders was obtained via telephone interviews. Results In women with regular menstrual cycles, the 5th–95th centile range of usual cycle length decreased from 23–35 days in the 15–19 years age group to 23–30 days in the 40–44 years age group. Only 0.5% of regular menstruating women had a usual cycle length of <21 days and 0.9% had a usual cycle length of >35 days. At least one cycle length of <21 days was experienced by 18.6%, whereas 29.5% had at least one cycle of >35 days. Menstrual cycle variation of >14 days was present in 29.3% of all women. Cycle length variation of > 14 days was 2.7 times more frequent in women from lower social groups (controlled by age). Conclusion The study confirmed the normally used definitions of polymenorrhoea (cycle length <21 days) and oligomenorrhoea (cycle length between 36 and 90 days), as these very short or long menstrual cycle lengths were very seldom recorded for a longer period. However, the high frequency in a normal population of large menstrual cycle length variation challenges the view that an intra‐individual variation of >5 days should be regarded as a sign of disease in the woman.

Objective To investigate lifetime prevalence of infertility, the seeking of infertility treatment and outcomes of treatment. Design Cross‐sectional postal questionnaire study. Setting County of Copenhagen, Denmark. Subjects Three thousand, seven hundred and forty‐three women, 15 to 44 years old, selected at random were asked about infertility, their seeking of infertility treatment, diagnoses provided by their doctors and subsequent parenthood. Response rate was 78%, n= 2865. A random sample of non‐responders was interviewed by telephone. Main outcome measures Fertility status, seeking of infertility treatment, subsequent deliveries and adoptions. Results Of the women who had attempted to have a child, 26.2% had experienced infertility; 4.1% of the women aged 25 to 44 years were currently primarily infertile and 8.6% had involuntarily not delivered a first child; 47.4% of the infertile women had sought infertility treatment. Significant predictors for seeking infertility treatment were school education > 9 years and not having delivered a child. Of the infertile women 54.9% subsequently had a child. Only 30% of these reported that the successful delivery was treatment‐related. Conclusions The health care system should see to it that infertile couples from lower social classes are offered information on the possibility of infertility treatment. High quality infertility treatment has to include both the “supply” of taking care of the infertile couple's psychosocial strain and the goal of ensuring successful pregnancies.