Model: Stress as a stimulus

• Application of the Social readjustment scale to assess the impact of stressors on individual health and wellbeing
• Holmes and Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)


  1967
• Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

  A scale developed to identify major stressful life events
• Holmes and Rahe wanted to investigate whether or not stress contributed to illness
• They believed there was a significant correlation between life changes and stress-related illness
• Significance of a particular event


  Determined by the degree of adjustment this event would normally require
• SRRS


  • Comprises a list of 43 stressful life events
  • Includes both positive and negative life events
  • Ranked from most stressful to least stressful
• Most stressful life events

  • Death of a spouse
  • Minor violations of the law
• Life Change Unit (LCU)


  A score awarded to each life event based on how traumatic it felt
• Holmes and Rahe surveyed over 5000 medical patients
• Results indicated a positive correlation of 0.118 between their life events and their illnesses
• Life events do cause illness
• If a person has less than 150 life change units they have a 30% chance of suffering from stress
• 150 – 299 life change units equate to a 50% chance of suffering from stress
• Over 300 life units mean a person has an 80% chance of developing a stress related illness
• Daily hassles


  Irritating, frustrating, distressing demands that characterise everyday transactions with the environment
• Most of the 43 life changes in the SRRS aren't everyday events
• The Holmes and Rahe stress scale is a widely used tool
• The scale can help identify people at increased risk for developing an illness
• The scale can be used to help design interventions to reduce stress levels