Assess Your Susceptibility to Stress-Related Illness
Are you susceptible to a stress-related illness? The more stress in your life, the more likely it is that you will experience a major illness.
To determine the stress in your life, take the stressor value given beside each event you have experienced and multiply it by the number of occurrences over the past year (up to a maximum of four), and then add up these scores.
87 Experienced the death of a spouse 77 Got married 77 Experienced the death of a close family member 76 Were divorced 74 Experienced a marital separation 68 Experienced the death of a close friend 68 Experienced pregnancy or fathered a pregnancy 65 Had a major personal injury or illness 62 Were fired from work 60 Ended a marital engagement or a steady relationship 58 Had sexual difficulties 58 Experienced a marital reconciliation 57 Had a major change in self-concept or self-awareness 56 Experienced a major change in the health or behavior of a family member 54 Became engaged to be married 53 Had a major change in financial status 52 Took on a mortgage or loan of more than $10,000 52 Had a major change in use of drugs 50 Had a major conflict or change in values 50 Had a major change in the number of arguments with your spouse 50 Gained a new family member 50 Entered college 50 Changed to a new school 50 Changed to a different line of work 49 Had a major change in amount of independence and responsibility 47 Had a major change in responsibilities at work 46 Experienced a major change in use of alcohol 45 Revised personal habits 44 Had trouble with school administration 43 Held a job while attending school 43 Had a major change in social activities 42 Had trouble with in-laws 42 Had a major change in working hours or conditions 42 Changed residence or living conditions 41 Had your spouse begin or cease work outside the home 41 Changed your choice of major field of study 41 Changed dating habits 40 Had an outstanding personal achievement 38 Had trouble with your boss 38 Had a major change in amount of participation in school activities 37 Had a major change in type and/or amount of recreation 36 Had a major change in religious activities 34 Had a major change of sleeping habits 33 Took a trip or vacation 30 Had a major change in eating habits 26 Had a major change in the number of family get-togethers 22 Were found guilty of minor violations of the law
Scoring: If your total score is above 1,435, you are in a high-stress category and therefore more at risk for experiencing a stress-related illness.
But keep in mind the limitations of this questionnaire. There may be factors in your life that produce high stress that are not listed. In addition, a high score does not mean that you are sure to get sick. Many other factors determine ill health, and high stress is only one cause. Other positive factors in your life, such as getting enough sleep and exercise, may prevent illness.
Still, having an unusually high amount of stress in your life is a cause for concern. If you do score high, you may want to take steps to reduce it.