The Stress Test

The Holmes/Rahe Life Change Scale

Please review each listed life event, relative to the past year, and add up your final score.

1. Death of a Spouse: 100
2. Divorce: 73
3. Marital Separation: 65
4. Jail Term : 63
5. Death of a close family member: 63
6. Personal Injury or Illness: 53
7. Marriage (or legal suit, or similar): 50
8. Fired at work: 47
9. Marital Reconciliation: 45
10. Retirement: 45
11. Changes in Family members health: 44
12. Pregnancy: 40
13. Sex Difficulties: 39
14. Gain of new family member: 39
15. Business readjustment: 39
16. Change in financial state: 38
17. Death of a close friend: 37
18. Change to different line of work: 36
19. Change of number of arguments with spouse: 35
20. Mortgage over $10,000: 31
21. Foreclosure of Mortgage or loan: 30
22. Change in work responsibilities: 29
23. Son or daughter leaving home: 29
24. Trouble with in-laws: 28
25. Outstanding personal achievement: 28
26. Spouse begins or stops work: 26
27. Begin or end school: 26
28. Change in living conditions: 25
29. Revision of personal habits: 24
30. Trouble with boss: 23
31. Change in work hours, conditions: 20
32. Change in residence: 20
33. Change in schools: 20
34. Change in recreation: 19
35. Change in religious activities: 19
36. Change in social activities: 18
37. Mortgage or loan under $10,000: 17
38. Change in sleeping habits: 16
39. Change in number of family get togethers: 15
40. Change in eating habits: 15
41. Vacation: 13
42. Holidays: 12
43. Minor Violation of the law: 11

Once you have added up your total, please refer to the following:

Below 150:Little or No Problem- you probably won't have any adverse reactions to the changes in your life.

150-199: Mild Problem-a 37% chance you will feel the impact of stress with physical symptoms.

200-299: Moderate Problem- a 51% chance of experiencing a stress related illness or accident.

300 and over: DANGER! Stress is threatening your well-being, an 80% chance of stress related illness or accident.



Now, I know D. and I have been through quite a bit in the last year, with the move, and the school and the jobs, and now the puppy, but, both of us are apparently in serious danger. D.'s score was 411, and mine was 553! I almost doubled the danger zone. WOW.

Of course the test is flawed, I realize this. My sleeping habits changed when we gained a new family member (puppy), and my financial state changed due to differences in work. The test doesn't take those factors into account. Also, there are not concrete definitions and therefore each life event is left to individual perception. Of course we are not taking the test seriously. But, overall it is interesting.

The reason this was so interesting is because it appears no one other than lazy college students whose parents pay for everything gets below a 300. Is there a fully functioning, responsible adult who gets less than 300?
A.

For more stressful test fun, try: http://suicideandmentalhealthassociationinternational.org/stresstest.html or

http://www.lessons4living.com/stress_test.htm