Life Stress Test
Find your stress level by checking the events listed below that you have personally experienced in the last year. Add the sum of the scores next to each checked box.
This scale shows the different pressures you are facing and, depending on your coping skills, can be used to predict the likelihood that you will fall victim to a stress related illness. The illness could be mild (i.e. frequent tension headaches, acid indigestion, loss of sleep, etc.) or very serious (i.e. ulcers, cancer, migraines, etc.)
- Scores between 0-149 – Low susceptibility to stress-related illness
- Scores between 150-299 – Medium susceptibility to stress-related illness.
- Scores of 300 and higher – High susceptibility to stress-related illness
Daily practice of relaxation skills (including gratitude) is very important for your wellness. Make sure your attitude is positive before a serious illness erupts or an affliction becomes worse.
- _____ 100 Death of Spouse
_____ 73 Divorce
_____ 65 Marital Separation or from relationship partner
_____ 63 Jail Term
_____ 63 Death of close family member
_____ 53 Personal injury or illness
_____ 50 Marriage
_____ 47 Fired from work
_____ 45 Marital reconciliation
_____ 45 Retirement
_____ 44 Change in family member’s health
_____ 40 Pregnancy
_____ 39 Sex difficulties
_____ 39 Addition to family
_____ 39 Business readjustment
_____ 38 Change in financial status
_____ 37 Death of close friend
_____ 36 Change to a different line of work
_____ 35 Change in number of marital arguments
_____ 31 Mortgage or loan over $30,000
_____ 30 Foreclosure of mortgage or loan
_____ 29 Change in work responsibilities
_____ 29 Trouble with in-laws
_____ 28 Outstanding personal achievement
_____ 26 Spouse begins or stops work
_____ 26 Starting or finishing school
_____ 25 Change in living conditions
_____ 24 Revision of personal habits
_____ 23 Trouble with boss
_____ 20 Change in work hours, conditions
_____ 20 Change in residence
_____ 20 Change in schools
_____ 19 Change in recreational habits
_____ 19 Change in church activities
_____ 18 Change in social activities
_____ 17 Mortgage or loan under $20,000
_____ 16 Change in sleeping habits
_____ 15 Change in number of family gatherings
_____ 15 Change in eating habits
_____ 13 Vacation
_____ 12 Christmas season
_____ 11 Minor violations of the law - ______ Your Total Score
The Life Stress Test, also known as the Holmes and Rahe test, was first created in 1967.
The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale: In 1967, psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe conducted a study to determine the effects of stress on illness. Over 5,000 medical patients were surveyed according to the identified 43 life. Each event, called a Life Change Unit (LCU), was assigned a different “weight” for stress. The more events the patient experienced in a given period, the higher the score. High scores, combined with events with higher weights, indicated that a patient was more likely to become ill.