Below is a questionnaire that measures the amount of stress that you have experienced over the past 1-2 years. Each event is assigned a numerical value relative to how stressful the experience is as measured by researchers at the University of Washington. Mark down the events that you have experienced within the past 2 years, and tally your score.
1-149 indicates that you have low susceptibility to a stress-related illness
150-299 indicates medium susceptibility to a stress-related illness
300 and higher indicates high susceptibility to a stress-related illness
100 |
Death of a spouse |
73 |
Divorce |
36 | Change to different line of work | 37 | Death of a close friend |
65 | Marital separation (or separation from any major intimate relationship) | 63 | Jail term |
63 | Death of a close family member | 53 | Personal injury or illness |
44 | Major change in health or behavior of a family member | 47 | Being fired from work |
40 | Sexual difficulties | 45 | Marital reconciliation |
39 | Gain of new family member thru birth, adoption, or remarriage | 45 | Retirement |
39 | Business readjustment | 40 | Pregnancy |
38 | Major change in finances | 50 | Marriage |
35 | Increase in number of arguments with spouse | 23 | Trouble with boss/superior |
31 | Mortgage or loan for major purchase (i.e. home, etc.) | 30 | Foreclosure of mortgage or loan |
29 | Changes in responsibility at work | 29 | Son or daughter leaving home |
28 | Outstanding Personal Achievement | 26 | Spouse stops work outside of home |
29 | Trouble with in-laws | 26 | Going back to school |
25 | Change in living condition (rebuilding, remodeling) | 20 | Change in residence |
20 | Change in work hours or responsibilities | 20 | Change in school |
24 | Revision/change of personal habits | 19 | Change in recreational habits |
19 | Change in church/spiritual activities | 18 | Change in social activities |
17 | Purchase of major items (auto, computer, etc) | 16 | Change in sleeping habits |
15 | Change in number of family get-togethers | 15 | Change in eating habits |
15 | Vacation | 12 | Christmas |
11 | Minor violations of the law (e.g., traffic tickets, misdemeanors) |
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Stress is not listed as one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., however studies have shown that stress does play a significant role in both heart disease and stroke which ARE two of the top 10 killers of Americans. The list of stressful life events above obtained from http://www.cliving.org/lifestresstestscore.htm is a guideline of empirically validated stressful life events. To be sure, a score above 300 is alarming however coping skills play a huge role in one’s ability to either successfully metabolize the stress, or to become overwhelmed by it. Similarly, a score below 150 is low, however if one has weak coping skills this amount of stress can also become unbearable. Therapy is a great way to help manage one’s stress levels by bolstering coping skills but there are other methods of reducing stress as well. Below is a list of tips that one can utilize to deal with stress:
Regular Exercise
Good Sleep Hygiene
Proper Nutrition
Social Support from Family and Friends
Owning a Pet