Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe's social readjustment scale

We all face stressful situations at different times of our lives and to some extent is normal. However, chronic stress can become a threat to people's physical and mental health. For that reason, there are instruments such as the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe that They measure the level of stress. Its objective is to determine what is the level of Risk of suffering psychosomatic disorders starting from perceived stress.

Following this line, it is an easy instrument to apply and interpret that it is still used in the field of health. In this article, you can learn more about the history of this test and what things can you reveal about your general well -being.

Content

• What is the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe?
• History
• What factors evaluates the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe?
• How does it work?
  • References

What is the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe?

When we talk about stress, we refer to an unpleasant emotional reaction that occurs in situations that are perceived as a threat. For example, if we go down the street and we are facing a rabid animal, our body will react with stress. The objective of stress is to prepare the body to deal with certain situations that could put us in danger. So, to a certain degree, stress is a normal and healthy emotion.

However, so that stress is something healthy, it must be transitory, that is, it should be a brief reaction. But, because of the lifestyle that human beings lead, it is common for us to expose ourselves to multiple stressful factors chronically. Thus, when stress extends too much in time, it can cause physical and psychological diseases.

In this sense, the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe serves to measure the amount of stress experienced by a person. Thus, it is possible to determine the risk of psychological or physiological pathologies. Therefore, it is a useful instrument for professionals working in health services.

History

Psychologists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe prepared this scale after analyzing the clinical reports of 5.000 patients. The initial question for research was whether stressful events in someone's life were related to their diseases. Taking this into account, they asked patients to create a list with stressful situations and place a score.

After several applications, the specialists realized that the results were always similar. Then, they concluded that, in effect, there was a relationship between the level of stress and the development of diseases. Thanks to these analyzes, the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe arises to measure stress.

Since its publication, the scale has been applied in different regions of the world and has not undergone major changes. For that reason, it is considered one of the most reliable instruments for the evaluation of stress and health risks.

What factors evaluates the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe?

This instrument measures the level of stress from 43 indicators, each of which has an assigned score.

1. Death of the spouse (100)
2. Divorce (73)
3. Separation (65)
4. Deprivation of liberty (63)
5. Death of an near family (63)
6. Disease or disability, serious (53)
7. Marriage (50)
8. Lose your job (47)
9. Reconciliation of the couple (45)
10. Retirement (45)
11. A close relative's disease (44)
12. Pregnancy (40)
13. Sexual problems (39)
14. Arrival of a new member to the family (39)
15. Important changes at work (39)
16. Important changes at an economic level (38)
17. Death of an intimate friend (37)
18. Change jobs (36)
19. Discussions with the couple (significant change) (35)
20. Ask for a high value mortgage (31)
21. Make a loan effective (30)
22. Change of responsibilities at work (29)
23. A child leaves home (marriage, university) (29)
24. Problems with the law (29)
25. Exceptional personal achievements (28)
26. The couple begins or stops working (26)
27. The schooling cycle begins or ends (26)
28. Important changes in living conditions (25)
29. Change in personal habits (24)
30. Problems with the boss (23)
31. Change in working hours or conditions (20)
32. Change of residence (20)
33. Change to a new school (20)
34. Change in the form or frequency of amusements (19)
35. Change in the frequency of religious activities (19)
36. Change in social activities (18)
37. Ask for a minor loan (17)
38. Changes in sleep habits (16)
39. Changes in the number of family gatherings (15)
40. Change in eating habits (15)
41. Vacation (15)
42. Christmas (12)
43. Minor infractions of law (11)

How does it work?

When applying the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe, people are asked to carefully read the list. The idea is to mark each of the events they have experienced in the last year with a circle. Then, at the end, the professional must make a sum to know what the total score is.

For example, if the person marked "infractions minor to the law" (11 points) and "change in eating habits" (15), then its total is 26. Once the sum of all the scores is made, the result that represents the level of stress is obtained. If it is above 200 points, there is a considerable risk of suffering psychosomatic disorders. About 300 the risk is much deeper.

On the other hand, scores of 100 or less indicate a very low risk. Starting from these results, specialists can make important decisions for the treatment of diseases. For example, psychologists can focus on designing a plan to develop strategies to regulate stress.

In conclusion, the social readjustment scale of Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe is a useful instrument in primary health care. Both for doctor and psychologists it is important to know the living conditions of their patients and how they affect their health.

References

• Holmes, t., & RAHE, R. (1967). Social readjustment stress scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, eleven(2), 213-218.
• Suarez Cuba, M. TO. (2010). The importance of the analysis of stressful vital events in clinical practice. La Paz Medical Magazine, 16(2), 58-62.