Rahe Et Al Study Guide

Core studies summary Holmes & Rahe (1970) stress study

|Aims and context (Put aims of study & background history): |
| |
|The aim of the study is to be able to find a prospective positive correlation between life stress caused by life events and later |
|illness. |
|It has long been suggested that there is a relationship between the amount of stress we are exposed to and how much illness we suffer |
|from. Our body’s physiological (biological) response to stressors is very complex, but many researchers have linked the stress response |
|to causing problems with how our immune system & our cardiovascular system work. |
| |
|There is evidence to suggest that any change in our life brings about a stress response. There is also a link between a person’s life |
|stress, life changes, personal loss & other measurements of social upheaval with illness. This evidence is usually taken from |
|retrospective data, (i.e. asking people with stress related illnesses to look back at the previous year & assess what life events had |
|happened). Holmes & Rahe (1967) developed the SRRS, where they put together a list of stressful life events experienced by their |
|patients seen in their practice. They then asked the hundreds of p’s to rate how stressful each life event was. |
|