Don Ardell (1977) developed a stress assessment that is unique in its holistic approach to stress. It includes a multi-dimensional assessment of health and in understanding stress, hence providing a balanced assessment of various different types of stress sources. The Ardell Wellness Stress Test incorporates physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of health. Too many stress sources that are not well managed can cause serious health issues.SCREENING ASSESSMENT DISCLAIMER: This is a self-assessment tool; a self-report instrument intended for consciousness-raising and personal insights only. This is not a test in the technical sense and it is by no means a tool for diagnosing any type of health or mental health condition, nor a substitute for professional clinical help. Instead, please use this self-assessment tool to help you determine if you may benefit from seeing a mental health professional for diagnosis or support. This tool is best used in conjunction with the active participation of a mental health professional, e.g., Psychologist. If you suspect that you do need help, please consult with a mental health professional as soon as possible, regardless of your score on this test. Users should always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions they have regarding their health.In addition, this screening tool is not appropriate for, and should not be completed by persons under 18 years of age.Integrated Health Specialists does not provide emergency crisis counselling. If you or someone else you know requires crisis counselling, please call Lifeline immediately on 13 11 14. Lifeline have a 24 hour telephone crisis support service.Please check this box to agree to the following statement before commencing your screening assessment:
I have read and fully understand that my assessment result does not represent a professional diagnosis and that this screening tool is for educational/personal awareness purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. I agree
The Ardell Wellness Stress Test
Please rate your satisfaction with each of the following category descriptions by selecting the score that best indicates the extent of how your life is currently going regarding the category listed (be honest for the most accurate result):
Enter “+3” if your satisfaction with how your life is currently going regarding the category listed, is “exuberant” to “ecstatic.”
Enter “+2” if your satisfaction level in the category is “very happy” to “quite pleased.”
Enter “+1” if your satisfaction is “OK” to “mildly satisfying.”
Enter “0” if your most accurate sense is “not sure” to “no problem.”
Enter “-1” if the most accurate response seems to be “mildly disappointed” to “not quite right.”
Enter “-2” if the most accurate answer is “very disappointed” to “quite unhappy about this.”
Enter “-3” if your feeling about the issue is “I’m on the road to nowhere” to “I think I’m about to go over a cliff.”
When you have completed all 25 items, please print out your responses to refer to at the end of the assessment and also for future reference, and then press the ‘SHOW RESULTS’ button and your score will be revealed.
Your Results
Your Stress score is .
Ardell Wellness Stress Test Interpretation:
Screening test scoring ranges are as follows for your information:
+ 60 to + 75 – You are in a very good place overall, and unlikely to be significantly troubled by stressors on a consistent basis. You have a lot of positive factors in your life which, more than any stress management technique (e.g., deep breathing, meditation and so on), will render you largely immune from the adverse effects of negative emotions in dealing with what life serves up. There are few challenges likely to untrack you from a continuing sense of near well-being so long as your satisfaction level remains as high as indicated in this assessment.
+ 36 to + 59 – You are doing well, much better than most. You should find the information available about the wellness concept attractive and consistent with your movement toward effective and healthy living. You already have a well-tuned capacity to deal creatively and efficiently with events and circumstances. Additional advances should come easily for you. All good wishes in moving forward while learning new skills, particularly in areas of critical thinking, the experience of exuberant living, physical fitness and expanding your personal freedoms and choices.
+ 20 to + 35 – You have a well-founded appreciation for the importance of lifestyle choices in affecting the quality of your life. You know the value of personal responsibility, a supportive environment and the cumulative positive effects of little changes, over time. In the months to come, invest additional energies in learning ways to strengthen certain areas. You can boost your satisfactions while reducing your stressors.
0 to 19 – You can clearly benefit from a modest investment in learning ways to reduce stress and increase pleasures. A flurry of negative circumstances could spark emotional setbacks. Take steps now to avoid slowing your steady progression toward mastery of good living and self-efficacy.
-18 to -37 – Stress of a daily nature that interferes with good living seems to be a problem – and it deserves your attention. Stress of a consistent negative nature in life will jeopardize your motivation to choose wisely and to sustain the energy level needed for good health and an enjoyable life. You are a candidate for counselling. You are either too pessimistic or have severe problems in dealing with stress.
-38 to -75 – Oh my goodness. What do you do for a living – are you North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il, ruling dictator of the Hermit Kingdom? Something, lots of things, must be done to lighten the load, to eliminate much of the stress load from your life. Let’s look on the bright side for a moment – you are still alive, you managed to complete the test without suffering a cardiac event and you probably have a sense of humour, more or less. But seriously, if you truly are as stressed as this little consciousness-raising set of questions would indicate, it’s time for a chat with a wellness professional. I recommend that you start now to look after yourself with more loving attention.
Now take the time to review the items you rated in the Ardell Wellness Stress Test and identify which items are related more to physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, or social health. Do you notice any particular patterns in your answers? For example, are more areas of disappointment related to emotional health than to physical health? For holistic wellness the aim is to seek a balance across all of these dimensions of health.
Don Ardell (1977) developed a stress assessment that is unique in its holistic approach to stress. It includes a multi-dimensional assessment of health and in understanding stress, hence providing a balanced assessment of various different types of stress sources. The Ardell Wellness Stress Test incorporates physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of health. Too many stress sources that are not well managed can cause serious health issues.SCREENING ASSESSMENT DISCLAIMER: This is a self-assessment tool; a self-report instrument intended for consciousness-raising and personal insights only. This is not a test in the technical sense and it is by no means a tool for diagnosing any type of health or mental health condition, nor a substitute for professional clinical help. Instead, please use this self-assessment tool to help you determine if you may benefit from seeing a mental health professional for diagnosis or support. This tool is best used in conjunction with the active participation of a mental health professional, e.g., Psychologist. If you suspect that you do need help, please consult with a mental health professional as soon as possible, regardless of your score on this test. Users should always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions they have regarding their health.In addition, this screening tool is not appropriate for, and should not be completed by persons under 18 years of age.Integrated Health Specialists does not provide emergency crisis counselling. If you or someone else you know requires crisis counselling, please call Lifeline immediately on 13 11 14. Lifeline have a 24 hour telephone crisis support service.Please check this box to agree to the following statement before commencing your screening assessment:
I have read and fully understand that my assessment result does not represent a professional diagnosis and that this screening tool is for educational/personal awareness purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. I agree
The Ardell Wellness Stress Test
Please rate your satisfaction with each of the following category descriptions by selecting the score that best indicates the extent of how your life is currently going regarding the category listed (be honest for the most accurate result):
Enter “+3” if your satisfaction with how your life is currently going regarding the category listed, is “exuberant” to “ecstatic.”
Enter “+2” if your satisfaction level in the category is “very happy” to “quite pleased.”
Enter “+1” if your satisfaction is “OK” to “mildly satisfying.”
Enter “0” if your most accurate sense is “not sure” to “no problem.”
Enter “-1” if the most accurate response seems to be “mildly disappointed” to “not quite right.”
Enter “-2” if the most accurate answer is “very disappointed” to “quite unhappy about this.”
Enter “-3” if your feeling about the issue is “I’m on the road to nowhere” to “I think I’m about to go over a cliff.”
When you have completed all 25 items, please print out your responses to refer to at the end of the assessment and also for future reference, and then press the ‘SHOW RESULTS’ button and your score will be revealed.
Your Results
Your Stress score is .
Ardell Wellness Stress Test Interpretation:
Screening test scoring ranges are as follows for your information:
+ 60 to + 75 – You are in a very good place overall, and unlikely to be significantly troubled by stressors on a consistent basis. You have a lot of positive factors in your life which, more than any stress management technique (e.g., deep breathing, meditation and so on), will render you largely immune from the adverse effects of negative emotions in dealing with what life serves up. There are few challenges likely to untrack you from a continuing sense of near well-being so long as your satisfaction level remains as high as indicated in this assessment.
+ 36 to + 59 – You are doing well, much better than most. You should find the information available about the wellness concept attractive and consistent with your movement toward effective and healthy living. You already have a well-tuned capacity to deal creatively and efficiently with events and circumstances. Additional advances should come easily for you. All good wishes in moving forward while learning new skills, particularly in areas of critical thinking, the experience of exuberant living, physical fitness and expanding your personal freedoms and choices.
+ 20 to + 35 – You have a well-founded appreciation for the importance of lifestyle choices in affecting the quality of your life. You know the value of personal responsibility, a supportive environment and the cumulative positive effects of little changes, over time. In the months to come, invest additional energies in learning ways to strengthen certain areas. You can boost your satisfactions while reducing your stressors.
0 to 19 – You can clearly benefit from a modest investment in learning ways to reduce stress and increase pleasures. A flurry of negative circumstances could spark emotional setbacks. Take steps now to avoid slowing your steady progression toward mastery of good living and self-efficacy.
-18 to -37 – Stress of a daily nature that interferes with good living seems to be a problem – and it deserves your attention. Stress of a consistent negative nature in life will jeopardize your motivation to choose wisely and to sustain the energy level needed for good health and an enjoyable life. You are a candidate for counselling. You are either too pessimistic or have severe problems in dealing with stress.
-38 to -75 – Oh my goodness. What do you do for a living – are you North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il, ruling dictator of the Hermit Kingdom? Something, lots of things, must be done to lighten the load, to eliminate much of the stress load from your life. Let’s look on the bright side for a moment – you are still alive, you managed to complete the test without suffering a cardiac event and you probably have a sense of humour, more or less. But seriously, if you truly are as stressed as this little consciousness-raising set of questions would indicate, it’s time for a chat with a wellness professional. I recommend that you start now to look after yourself with more loving attention.
Now take the time to review the items you rated in the Ardell Wellness Stress Test and identify which items are related more to physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health, or social health. Do you notice any particular patterns in your answers? For example, are more areas of disappointment related to emotional health than to physical health? For holistic wellness the aim is to seek a balance across all of these dimensions of health.
(Source: Adapted from High Level Wellness: An Alternative to Doc, Drugs and Disease by Don Ardell, 1977 and updated by Don Ardell, 2011)Accurate diagnosis and treatment of stress should only be performed by a qualified mental health professional. This stress screening tool is intended for informational purposes only and may assist you to identify some sources of stress. It is not designed to provide a diagnosis or treatment.
