A useful stress test to measure your stress level
- CAbyssT
- May 9, 2022
- 4 min read
You might be very stressed out right now, or you might be relaxed, but either way, you probably do not have a clear idea of exactly how stressed out you are currently in an objective way. Today, you will have the chance to evaluate the stress level that you actually have, but first, the test has to be introduced. (If you just hate all the descriptions and can't wait to conduct the test, scroll to the bottom directly).
What is this stress test?
This stress test is called The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, or you can call it the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory, as the psychiatrists Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe developed this scale in their academic journal The Social Readjustment Rating Scale in 1967. The scale is still widely used today, 55 years after its birth, and it explores the relationship between the social change in one's life and his or her stress level. (). In the test, there are 43 items listed with each of their scores besides them. The implementation of the test is easy, just add the scores of the items that you have experienced recently up and refer to the scale. This is also a major reason why it is popular: it is very easy to conduct, and it yields rather accurate results.
The scale is set in a rather complicated manner. First, the research done by Harold G. Wolff inspected the common event in 5000 patients, locating common stressful events in human life and setting the items on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Then, in Holmes and Rahe's research, they conducted a survey on 394 subjects that finalized the score on the different items in the list, and thus, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale is born. (Holmes and Rahe).
Over the years, multiple evaluations on this scale had been made, and it is proven to be pretty reliable and useful in many cases. However, some limitations have also been brought into view by both the research done by Holmes and Rahe and further extensive research on the scale. First, Holmes and Rahe found out that culture might be having a different order on the different events that affect stress. Their research showed that the correlation or the similarity between the order of the white people and the black people is a bit lower than the comparison between the other different groups. (Holmes and Rahe). This indicates that people within different cultures might have different opinions on the order of each stress event. Later research also backed their results. Also, this stress level test used a large sample size, which generalizes the result to most people in the best possible manner, while eliminating a large part of the contribution by our perception. Therefore, the test might not perfectly reflect the perceived stress level. Also, the test is more suitable for adults as many of the items listed on the tests would only be experienced by adults. Luckily, researchers also modified the items for students, and a version of the scale for students is also included in this post.
And Finally...
The Big Reveal!
The Social Readjustment Rating Scale
Death of spouse 100
Divorce 73
Marital separation 65
Jail term 63
Death of close family member 63
Personal injury or illness 53
Marriage 50
Fired at work 47
Marital reconciliation 45
Retirement 45
Change in health of family member 44
Pregnancy 40
Sex difficulties 39
Gain of new family member 39
Business readjustment 39
Change in financial state 38
Death of close friend 37
Change to different line of work 36
Change in number of arguments with spouse 35
Mortgage over $10,000 31
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30
Change in responsibilities at work 29
Son 0r daughier leaving home 29
Trouble with in-laws 29
Outstanding personal achievement 28
Wife begin or stop work 26
Begin or end school 26
Change in living conditions 25
Revision of personal habits 24
Trouble with boss 23
Change in work hours or conditions 20
Change in residence 20
Change in schools 20
Change in recreation 19
Change in church activities 19
Change in social activities 18
Mortgage or loan less than $10,000 17
Change in sleeping habits 16
Change in number of family get-togethers 15
Change in eating habits 15
Vacation 13
Christmas 12
Minor violations of the law 11
(Holmes and Rahe)
The Social Readjustment Rating Scale for Students
Death of a close family member 100
Death of a close friend 73
Divorce between parents 65
Jail term 63
Major personal injury or illness 63
Marriage 53
Fired from job 50
Failed important course 47
Change in health of a family member 45
Pregnancy 45
Sex problems 44
Serious argument with a close friend 40
Change in financial status 39
Change of Major 39
Trouble with parents 39
New girl or boy friend 38
Increased workload 37
Outstanding personal achievement 36
First quarter/semester in college 35
Change in living conditions 31
Serious argument with instructor 30
Lower grades than expected 29
Change in sleeping habits 29
Change in social activities 29
Change in eating habits 28
Chronic car trouble 26
Change in number of family get-togethers 26
Too many missed classes 25
Change of college 24
Dropped more than one class 23
Minor traffic violations 20
(Student Stress Scale)
How to do the test?
Add the scores of the events that happened in the last 6 months or that you expect to happen in the next 6 months and record the score. Then, refer to the scale below for the stress level that you have now.
150 or below: slight risk for illness due to the current stress level
150 to 299: moderate risk for illness due to the current stress level
300 or above: elevated risk for illness in the future due to the current stress level
"And if the gaze long enough into the abyss, the cat will gaze back into you."
Works Cited:
“High School Psychology.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/topss/.
Holmes, Thomas H., and Richard H. Rahe. “The Social Readjustment Rating Scale.” Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 11, no. 2, 1967, pp. 213–218., https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(67)90010-4.
Student Stress Scale. https://media.suweb.site/2015/06/StudentStressScale.pdf.
Very helpful~~
Very cool :)