Stress Audit Test

The Stress Audit is a 20-item self-report checklist attributed to Lyle H. Miller and Alma Dell Smith, citing their 1993 book The Stress Solution. In the reproduced source materials, the authors are identified as psychologists of the Boston Medical Center. Rather than measuring acute anxiety, burnout, or clinical symptoms, the checklist was created as an approachable way for people to review the everyday habits, social ties, and practical resources they have on hand.

The cited source reproduces a 20-item checklist asking respondents how often statements apply, with items covering health routines, social support, finances, spirituality, communication, leisure, time use, and quiet time (Miller & Smith, 1993). The sample result labels the sole score Vulnerability to Stress and uses a 0-80 range. Because the instrument presents a single aggregate index without subscales, all 20 statements contribute to one unified profile of stress vulnerability. In everyday life, these statements reflect practical buffers—such as getting regular sleep, eating balanced meals, giving and receiving affection, organizing your time, and having people to confide in.

On the original response ladder, ratings run from 1 (almost always) to 5 (never), and the source scoring instruction adds the 20 ratings and subtracts 20 to yield the 0 to 80 total. More frequent endorsement of the listed routines and supports produces a lower score, whereas less frequent access or use produces a higher total, indicating greater vulnerability to stress according to this checklist. While the source's sample result describes scores over 30 as indicating vulnerability, 50 to 75 as serious vulnerability, and above 75 as extreme vulnerability, these ranges are descriptive guidance for self-reflection rather than validated clinical cutoffs.

When reading your score, it is important to keep the limitations of the accessible source materials in mind. Sample sizes, participant demographics, and statistical reliability are not reported in the accessible source documents, and the source page explicitly notes that the assessment comes with no guarantee of accuracy or validity. For that reason, the Stress Audit should be treated as an informal inventory of everyday buffers rather than a validated psychological or clinical measure. The 20 items also do not capture every source of strain or every kind of support a person might draw upon.

A score on the Stress Audit is a reflection on current routines and available supports, not a verdict on your character or personal resilience. Many of the areas touched on by the checklist—including physical health, weight, income, family structure, religious or community ties, and opportunities for leisure or social activity—are shaped by life circumstances and are not wholly under any individual's control. A higher score simply notes that fewer of the checklist's specific buffers are currently in place, offering a calm, nonjudgmental starting point for noticing where your day-to-day life feels supported and where it may feel stretched thin.

The chart includes a marker at the midpoint of the checklist’s possible 0–80 score range. This is a mathematical estimate only: the accessible source materials do not report a sample mean or norm group. It is not a comparison with an average person, a validated percentile, or a clinical norm. This test is provided for educational and self-reflective purposes only, not as a medical or psychological diagnosis. It is based on the Stress Audit (Miller & Smith, 1993) but is not affiliated with Lyle H. Miller, Alma Dell Smith, Boston Medical Center, or their publishers.

References

• Miller, L. H. & Smith, A. D. (1993). The Stress Solution. Atria.

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