What Is the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale?

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale is a psychological assessment tool developed in 1967 by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe to measure the impact of life events on physical and mental health. By surveying over 5,000 patients, they compiled a list of 43 stressful life events—ranging from the death of a spouse to changing jobs—and assigned each a weighted value in Life Change Units (LCUs). The total score estimates an individual’s likelihood of developing a stress-induced illness, resting on the premise that major life changes, whether positive or negative, place cumulative strain on the body’s immune and nervous systems.