This Social Readjustment Rating Scale is available at a number of Web sites. I copied the following from Wikipedia.
Development
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 might cause illnesses. Patients were asked to tally a list of 43 life events based on a relative score. A positive correlation of 0.118 was found between their life events and their illnesses.
Their results were published as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS),[1] known more commonly as the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. Subsequent validation has supported the links between stress and illness.[2]
[edit]
[edit]Adults
To measure stress according to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the number of "Life Change Units" that apply to events in the past year of an individual's life are added and the final score will give a rough estimate of how stress affects health.
| Life event | Life change units |
|---|---|
| Death of a spouse | 100 |
| Divorce | 73 |
| Marital separation | 65 |
| Imprisonment | 63 |
| Death of a close family member | 63 |
| Personal injury or illness | 53 |
| Marriage | 50 |
| Dismissal from work | 47 |
| Marital reconciliation | 45 |
| Retirement | 45 |
| Change in health of family member | 44 |
| Pregnancy | 40 |
| Sexual difficulties | 39 |
| Gain a new family member | 39 |
| Business readjustment | 39 |
| Change in financial state | 38 |
| Death of a close friend | 37 |
| Change to different line of work | 36 |
| Change in frequency of arguments | 35 |
| Major mortgage | 32 |
| Foreclosure of mortgage or loan | 30 |
| Change in responsibilities at work | 29 |
| Child leaving home | 29 |
| Trouble with in-laws | 29 |
| Outstanding personal achievement | 28 |
| Spouse starts or stops work | 26 |
| Begin or end school | 26 |
| Change in living conditions | 25 |
| Revision of personal habits | 24 |
| Trouble with boss | 23 |
| Change in working 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 |
| Minor mortgage or loan | 17 |
| Change in sleeping habits | 16 |
| Change in number of family reunions | 15 |
| Change in eating habits | 15 |
| Vacation | 13 |
| Christmas | 12 |
| Minor violation of law | 11 |
Score of 300+: At risk of illness.
Score of 150-299+: Risk of illness is moderate (reduced by 30% from the above risk).
Score 150-: Only have a slight risk of illness.
My problem with this scale is that you only get points for stuff that's happened to you in the past year. I've experienced so many of these life events, some of them over and over, but not necessarily during the past year. Yet I know they've contributed to my ongoing depression.
Look at the most stressful event -- death of a spouse. My Kathy's husband died about 2 1/2 years ago. She only earns the Big 100 Points if her husband died within the past year, but do you think Kathy has stopped feeling that loss?
Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to this scale, and I think our What? Monday question will have something to do with this. But I think I'll need to figure out a way to modify the scale because our feelings don't automatically cease when we hit the one-year mark.
At least mine don't. I sure wish they did.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
My problem with this scale is that you only get points for stuff that's happened to you in the past year. I've experienced so many of these life events, some of them over and over, but not necessarily during the past year. Yet I know they've contributed to my ongoing depression.
Look at the most stressful event -- death of a spouse. My Kathy's husband died about 2 1/2 years ago. She only earns the Big 100 Points if her husband died within the past year, but do you think Kathy has stopped feeling that loss?
Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to this scale, and I think our What? Monday question will have something to do with this. But I think I'll need to figure out a way to modify the scale because our feelings don't automatically cease when we hit the one-year mark.
At least mine don't. I sure wish they did.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
Who creates this stuff? Why do we have to (as a society) be forced to fit our feelings and emotions in a scale of numbers? I just don't get it. It's like standardized testing all over again.
ReplyDeleteThese scales are like IQ tests - how do you assign points to subjective things like stress or intelligence? There are so many different kids of stress just like there are ways to be intelligent. People get published for putting stupid scales like this together, write a few textbooks and retire behind their white picket fence. Sorry, this is coming from a psych major who bailed on her field after graduation because of scales like this.
ReplyDeleteAccording to this, I should kill myself. D:
ReplyDeleteMy score was somewhere between 50 & the hell with it!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't even list relationship trouble...only trouble if you have a spouse...guess us unmarried people don't have to worry! :-0
ReplyDeleteQueen Bee and Michelle, I'm glad you don't like the scale because we're going to talk about it again on Monday. (shhhh! I don't like it either.)
ReplyDeleteMy 2 Pesos, I DID kill myself. But I came back to life. I'm perfect for all those zombie blogs.
fishducky, That's right. What difference does it make?
Stephanola, You don't have to worry anyway because you have Rudolph.
I couldn't read the whole list. I believe we have to learn to cope with the small to medium stuff in life so as not to get stressed. When someone dies, you mourn. That is a process you have to go through. It seems terrible to have to wonder how ill you might become while in that process. It has to run its course. And it may last the rest of your life. So my take on this is that I don't like charts like this at all.
ReplyDeleteDear Janie,
ReplyDeleteWe have such a tendency in this country to want to pigeonhole, to quantify, to pinpoint. As Walt Whitman said, "I am large. I contain multitudes."
So how can we assign points?
Peace.
Inger and Dee, I LOVE your comments. My What? Monday question will have to do with this "scale."
ReplyDeleteI agree divorces are very high up on the list :(
ReplyDeleteBaur, Yes, divorce is a biggie. One of the problems I have with this scale, though, is that sadness doesn't automatically end at the one-year mark.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lost my husband, people told me that divorce is worse. They said, separated by death is easier than separated while living. If I were to choose a time mark, I would pick three years.
ReplyDeleteoceangirl, My Kathy also says that divorce is worse than the death of a spouse. She's been through each. She feels that way because ex-husbands pop up to cause trouble. I don't know which is worse, but it's been 2 1/2 years since her husband died; and she's still in deep mourning. I think it all depends on the person and how you feel about your spouse. I also think economic security is very important.
ReplyDeletelooking at this, i think life as a kid was just awesome.
ReplyDeletei had NO complaints at all.
when someone dies, when will you ever let go?
it's so difficult.
Jaya, You must have had a lovely childhood. I can't imagine having a cut-off date for mourning. My parents died many years ago. I miss them more and more as time passes.
ReplyDeleteWhile whoever wrote this might have a point, you're right about the year thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd who really needs a list to work out that those things can be stressful.
The problem with things like this is they take no account of the fact that we are all different.
The thing that affects me the most might not bother the next person quite so much or for so long.
It's why I stopped studying psychology, they try to teach it as a science ... if XYZ happens to you, you will have ABC problems. When it comes to individuals nothing is set in stone and no two of us are totally the same.
Jane, The variety of guest posts I've received proves your point.
ReplyDelete