Life Change Index Scale (The Stress Test)
Event
Impact Score
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
45
Retirement
45
Change in health of family member
44
Pregnancy
40
Sexual difficulties
39
Gain of a new family member
39
Business readjustment
39
Change in financial state
38
Death of a close friend
37
Change to a different line of work
36
Change in number of arguments with spouse
35
Mortgage over $20,000
31
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan
30
Change in responsibilities at work
29
Son or daughter leaving home
29
Trouble with in-laws
28
Spouse begins or stops work
If an event mentioned in the table
at left has occurred in the past year,
or is expected to occur in the near
future, copy the number in the score
column. If the event has occurred
or is expected to occur more than
once, multiply this number by the
frequency of the event.
29
Outstanding personal achievement
Directions
47
Marital reconciliation
My Score
Scoring
The body is a finely tuned
instrument that does not like
surprises. Any sudden stimulus
which affects the body or
reordering of important routines
that the body is used to can cause
needless stress, throwing your
whole physical being into turmoil.
The following chart will give you
some idea of how to informally score
yourself on Social Readjustment
Scale. Since being healthy is the
optimum state you want to achieve,
being sick is the state of being you
most want to avoid.
26
Life Change
Units
Likelihood of
Illness in Near
Future
Begin or end school
26
300+
about 80%
Change in living conditions
25
150-299
about 50%
Revision of personal habits
24
less than 150
about 30%
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
19
Mortgage or loan less than $20,000
17
Change in sleeping habits
16
Change in number of family get-togethers
15
Change in eating habits
15
Vacation
13
Major holiday approaching
12
Minor violation of the law
11
Total
30 Coaching World
The higher your life change score,
the harder you have to work to
get yourself back into a state of
good health.
Adapted from Thomas H. Holmes and
Richard H. Rahe’s, “The Social Readjustment
Rating Scale” (published in 1967 in the
Journal of Psychosomatic Research)