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| Take a Stress Test |
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| This test is a reprint of the published article in the NOVA Magazine, MARCH 2009 Balancing Stress Column |
| "How to Calm the Mind" by Teya Skae |
In 1967, psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe examined the medical records of over 5,000 medical patients as a way to determine whether stressful events may cause illness. Patients were asked to tally a list of 43 life events based on a relative score.
The rating scale in the box below was developed to investigate the relationship between social readjustment, stress and susceptibility to illness. Holmes and Rahe found that a person with a score of 200 to 250 during a one-year period had a 50 per cent chance of developing illness or a change in health. With a score of 300 or more, a person's chances increased to 80 per cent.
It's no surprise that the death of a spouse ranks highest on their calibrated scale at 100 points, followed by divorce (72), marital separation (65), death of a close family member (63) and personal injury or illness (53). Perhaps a little surprising is that marriage comes next (50), followed by marital reconciliation (45), change in health of family member (44) and pregnancy (40).
Significant for society's current financial concerns, change in financial status ranks 12th (at 37) and foreclosure of mortgage or loan ranks 16th (at 30), and while we recognise the stress of Christmas (12), it was seen to have less impact than a change in sleeping (16) or eating habits (15). |
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| STRESS INVENTORY |
| 1 |
Death of a spouse (100) |
| 2 |
Divorce (72) |
| 3 |
Marital separation (65) |
| 4 |
Death of a close family member (63) |
| 5 |
Personal injury or illness (53) |
| 6 |
Marriage (50) |
| 7 |
Marital reconciliation (45) |
| 8 |
Change in health of family member (44) |
| 9 |
Pregnancy (40) |
| 10 |
Gain of new family member (39) |
| 11 |
Job Change (38) |
| 12 |
Change in financial status (37) |
| 13 |
Death of a close friend (36) |
| 14 |
Increase in arguments with significant other (35) |
| 15 |
Mortgage or loan of major purchase (home, etc.) (31) |
| 16 |
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan (30) |
| 17 |
Change in responsibilities of your job (29) |
| 18 |
Son or daughter leaving home (29) |
| 19 |
Trouble with in-laws (29) |
| 20 |
Outstanding personal achievement (28) |
| 21 |
Spouse begins or stops work outside the home (26) |
| 22 |
Revision of personal habits (24) |
| 23 |
Trouble with work superiors (23) |
| 24 |
Change in work hours or conditions (20) |
| 25 |
Change in residence (20) |
| 26 |
Change in sleeping habits (16) |
| 27 |
Change in eating habits (15) |
| 28 |
Vacation (13) |
| 29 |
Christmas (12) |
| 30 |
Minor violations of the law (11) |
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| 0-149: |
no significant problem |
| 150-199: |
mild stress, 35 per cent chance of illness |
| 200-299: |
moderate stress, 50 per cent chance of illness |
| 300+: |
major stress, 80 per cent chance of illness |
| Source: Holmes, T and Rahe, R. (1967) "Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale", Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. II. |
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