Stress And Life Events

Life events that occur in our lives such as death of a loved one, pregnancy, divorce or redundancy can lead to an increase in stress, which if left unresolved, could develop into a serious health risk.

Different crises in our lives can result in different impacts. However, in many cases it is possible to anticipate these events and even prepare for them.

The SRRS (Social Readjustment Rating Scale) was created by Dr. Thomas H. Holmes and Dr. Richard H. Rahe. Based on their well known study in 1967 into the effects of life events and the subsequent follow-up studies, the two doctors came up with a chart that lists a total of 43 events that can cause stress. Each of the events are ranked in order of their LCU (Life Change Unit), starting with the most high risk changes down to the lower risk ones.

Although there are many other factors in life that can lead to stress, Holmes and Rahe decided to concentrate on just these common key events.


Their theory suggests that any stressful events could be linked with higher chances of illness developing.

While this approach is obviously a simplification of complex situations, using the SRRS can provide you with a useful start in adjusting to life-changing events.

The test works by adding up the LCU points of the events that have happened to you in the last 12 months – this will give you your LCU score.

• An LCU score less than 150 = a 35% chance of developing an illness within the next two years.
  
• An LCU score between 150-300 = a 51% chance.
  
• An LCU score over 300 = 80% chance of illness developing, which could become a very serious health risk.
  
  

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale: