Score Interpretation
| Score | Comment |
| 300+ | You have a high or very high risk of becoming ill in the near future. |
| 150-299 | You have a moderate to high chance of becoming ill in the near future. |
| <150 | You have only a low to moderate chance of becoming ill in the near future. |
What You Can Do About This
If you find that you are at a moderate or high level of risk, then an obvious first thing to do is to try to avoid future life crises. While this is clearly easier said than done, you can usually avoid moving house, for example, close to when you retire, or when one of your children goes off to college; you can learn conflict resolution skills to minimize conflict with other people; you can avoid taking on new obligations or engaging with new programs of study; and you can take things easy, and look after yourself. For more on reducing stress, visit the Stress Tools area of Mind Tools.Note 1: Some scientists have suggested that the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale is weak in certain areas. For example, some feel that different cultural groups react differently to different life events. One study compared scores of Americans with those of Malaysians. Interestingly, Malaysians had different attitudes toward breaking the law and toward relationships than the Americans did, meaning that their experience of stress was different at the same score. Keep cultural differences in mind as you score your own life events.
Note 2: While it’s useful to know about this idea so that you can take action with it, don’t dwell on it, and don’t let this knowledge affect your mood. Think positively!
Note 3: Stress can cause severe health problems and, in extreme cases, can cause death. You should take the advice of a suitably qualified health professional if you have any concerns over stress-related illnesses, or if stress is causing you significant or persistent unhappiness.