Holmes and Rahe stress scale
The Holmes and Rahe stress scale is a list, created by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe ,which contains 43 stressful life events that can contribute to illness.
| Life Event | Unit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death of spouse | 100 | |
| 2 | Divorce | 73 | |
| 3 | Marital separation | 65 | |
| 4 | Jail term | 63 | |
| 5 | Death of close family member | 63 | |
| 6 | Personal injury or illness | 53 | |
| 7 | Marriage | 50 | |
| 8 | Fired at work | 47 | |
| 9 | Marital reconciliation | 45 | |
| 10 | Retirement | 45 | |
| 11 | Change in health of family member | 44 | |
| 12 | Pregnancy | 40 | |
| 13 | Sex difficulties | 39 | |
| 14 | Gain of new family member | 39 | |
| 15 | Business readjustment | 39 | |
| 16 | Change in financial state | 38 | |
| 17 | Death of close friend | 37 | |
| 18 | Change to a different line of work | 36 | |
| 19 | Change in number of arguments with spouse | 35 | |
| 20 | A large mortgage or loan | 31 | |
| 21 | Foreclosure of mortgage or loan | 30 | |
| 22 | Change in responsibilities at work | 29 | |
| 23 | Son or daughter leaving home | 29 | |
| 24 | Trouble with in-laws | 29 | |
| 25 | Outstanding personal achievement | 28 | |
| 26 | Spouse begins or stops work | 26 | |
| 27 | Begin or end school/college | 26 | |
| 28 | Change in living conditions | 25 | |
| 29 | Revision of personal habits | 24 | |
| 30 | Trouble with boss | 23 | |
| 31 | Change in work hours or conditions | 20 | |
| 32 | Change in residence | 20 | |
| 33 | Change in school/college | 20 | |
| 34 | Change in recreation | 19 | |
| 35 | Change in church activities | 19 | |
| 36 | Change in social activities | 18 | |
| 37 | A moderate loan or mortgage | 17 | |
| 38 | Change in sleeping habits | 16 | |
| 39 | Change in number of family get-togethers | 15 | |
| 40 | Change in eating habits | 15 | |
| 41 | Vacation | 13 | |
| 42 | Christmas | 12 | |
| 43 | Minor violations of the law | 11 | |
Score of 300+: At risk of illness.
Score of 150-299+: Risk of illness is moderate .
Score 150-: A slight risk of illness.
Source: “The Social Readjustment Rating Scale”, Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Volume 11, Issue 2, August 1967, Pages 213-218, Copyright © 1967 Published by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce granted by the publisher.