Take the Stress Test Now

All major events in our lives produce some stress, and it is your ability or inability to adapt to
these changes that makes the difference between getting ill or staying well. Psychiatrist Thomas
Holmes and Richard Rahe decided to study whether or not stress contributes to illness. They
surveyed more than 5,000 patients and asked them to say whether they had experienced any
of a series of 44 life events in the previous two years. Below is a chart they created called the
Social Readjustment Rating scale, which shows the relative stress associated with various
events in life.
This test can help show you if you’re at risk of illness due to stress. Take it now and see how you
score.
Event Point of Value

1. Death of spouse or partner 100

2. Threat of death 100
3. Divorce 73
4. Separation 65
5. Jail Term 63
6. Death of close family member 63
7. Personal injury or illness 53
8. Marriage 50
9. Fired from work 47
10. Marital reconciliation 45
11. Retirement 45
12. Change in family member’s health 44
13. Pregnancy 40
14. Sex difficulties 39
15. Addition to family 39
16. Business readjustment 39
17. Change in financial status 38
18. Death of close friend 37
19. Change to different line of work 36
20. Change in number of marital arguments 36
21. Large mortgage or loan (way above national average) 31
22. Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30
23. Change in work responsibilities 29
24. Son or daughter leaving home 29
25. Trouble with in-laws 29
26. Outstanding personal achievement 28
27. Spouse begins or stops work 26
28. Starting or finishing school 26
29. Change in living condition 25
30. Revision of personal habits 24
31. Trouble with boss 23
32. Change in work hours, conditions 20
33. Change in residence 20
34. Change in schools 20
35. Change in recreational habits 19
36. Change in church activities 19
37. Change in social activities 18
38. Mortgage or loan around the national average 17
39. Change in sleeping habits 16
40. Change in number of family gatherings 15
41. Change in eating habits 15
42. Vacation 13
43. Christmas season 12
44. Minor violation of the law 11

Your Score = _________

Score for your chances of becoming ill in the near future

11-150 Low to moderate

150-299 Moderate to high
300-600 High to very high chance of becoming ill in the near future.

You will notice that positive events such as marriage or retirement produce more stress
than negative events such as being fired or death of a close friend.
Holmes and Rahe found that a score of 300 in any one year produces a 50 per cent chance
of developing an illness within one year. They also found that a score of under 200 produces
a risk of less than 10 per cent.