Stressful Life Events
What about other stressful life events? You've seen how chemistry, genes, and a child's environment can help cause or prevent depression. As if that's not enough, what happens when a child experiences major life stressors? These are the events in a child's life that, as they add up, can put a child at greater risk for depression.
Coddington Life Stress Scale
A physician named R.D. Coddington devised a rating scale, the Coddington Life Stress Scale, which measures how much emphasis a major life event has on a child and thus the amount of stress a child is really under. While it was never meant to be a diagnostic tool for depression, research did find a correlation with high scores on the Coddington Life Stress Scale and depression.
The following reproduction of this scale may give you a better idea as to how children are thought to perceive stress and why they might become depressed if they are involved in one, two, or several of these events.
It may also surprise you to see what value or “life change units” are attributed to certain circumstances. Also of interest is how your child might rate an event as stressful depending on his age.
Under your child's age group below, circle any of the events that your child has experienced.
Life Event |
Preschool |
Elementary |
High School |
Beginning school |
42 |
46 |
42 |
Change to different school |
33 |
46 |
56 |
Birth or adoption of a sibling |
50 |
50 |
50 |
Sibling leaving home |
39 |
36 |
37 |
Hospitalization of sibling |
37 |
41 |
41 |
Death of sibling |
59 |
68 |
68 |
Change of father's job requiring increased absence |
36 |
45 |
38 |
Parent's loss of job |
23 |
38 |
46 |
Marital separation of parents |
74 |
78 |
69 |
Divorce of parents |
74 |
84 |
77 |
Hospitalization or serious illness of parent |
51 |
55 |
55 |
Death of parent |
89 |
91 |
87 |
Death of grandparent |
30 |
38 |
36 |
Marriage of parent to stepparent |
62 |
65 |
63 |
Jail sentence of parent for thirty days or less |
34 |
44 |
53 |
Jail sentence of parent for one year or more |
67 |
67 |
75 |
Addition of third adult to family |
39 |
41 |
34 |
Change in parent's financial status |
21 |
29 |
45 |
Mother beginning work |
47 |
44 |
26 |
Decrease in number of arguments between parents |
21 |
25 |
27 |
Increase in number of arguments between parents |
44 |
51 |
46 |
Decrease in number of arguments with parents |
22 |
27 |
26 |
Increase in number of arguments with parents |
39 |
47 |
47 |
Discovery of being adopted |
33 |
52 |
64 |
Acquiring a visible deformity |
52 |
69 |
81 |
Having a visible congenital deformity |
39 |
60 |
62 |
Being hospitalized |
59 |
62 |
58 |
Change in acceptance by peers |
38 |
51 |
67 |
Outstanding personal achievement |
23 |
39 |
46 |
Death of a close friend |
38 |
53 |
63 |
Failure of a year in school |
57 |
56 |
|
Suspension from school |
46 |
50 |
|
Pregnancy of unwed teenage sister |
36 |
64 |
|
Becoming involved with drugs or alcohol |
61 |
76 |
|
Becoming a member of a church/synagogue |
25 |
31 |
|
Not making an extracurricular activity he wanted to be involved in (team, band) |
49 |
55 |
|
Breaking up with boyfriend or girlfriend |
47 |
53 |
|
Beginning to date |
55 |
51 |
|
Fathering an unwed pregnancy |
76 |
77 |
|
Unwed pregnancy |
95 |
92 |
|
Being accepted to a college of his choice |
43 |
||
Getting married |
101 |
Results
According to Dr. Coddington, between the ages of four to six, the average total life stress score is about 75; between nine and 12 is about 100; and between 14 and 16, about 200. If your child's scores are higher than what is presented here, it does not mean that your child is certain to become depressed. It just means he has a greater likelihood to become depressed, so this is another way for you to quantify for a professional what your child has experienced and the effects these events have had on him.
Fact
Studies show that if a child experiences major stress, she will have a greater likelihood of developing a depressive episode. If at least two major events have occurred within the last year, a child has a 50 percent chance of getting depressed.
Parents, do not be scared! The comments about parents and their parenting skills are not meant to alarm anyone but to provide necessary information. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, and all parents have plenty they can learn. One thing is sure. There is no way every single cause of depression could be enumerated.
By the time you factor in the causes with all kinds of different people, you'd be overwhelmed — and exhausted! By providing your children with a relatively stable, secure foundation while fending off life's hard times and setbacks, you will be doing your best to prevent depression from getting its grip on them. It is definitely the biggest challenge you'll ever meet!
