Stress Assessment questionnaire - …

1 MySkillsProfile ReportStress AssessmentquestionnaireDave Smith the globeThe SAQ questionnaires are copyright developed and publish the questionnairesand are the sole suppliers of test materials and the workplace and at home, Stress and other difficultsituations are at an all-time high. Factors such as job insecurity,long hours, continuous change and unrealistic deadlines cancause serious problems for workers. On the home front, goingthrough a divorce, caring for children or elderly parents ordealing with a life-threatening illness are common situations thatput people under people understand the importance of tackling the problemsthat make them feel stressed. They realize that good mentalhealth plays an important role in their overall health andwell-being.

2 Stress means different things to different people,however, and many people don't know when it's appropriate toseek help. This report is designed to develop yourunderstanding of Stress and help you decide whether you shouldseek professional first section of the report deals with possible sources ofstress. The second looks at whether you are experiencing someof the common symptoms of Stress . The third section looks atyour coping strategy. The fourth section covers somepersonality issues and the final section assesses the impact ofstress on your mental keep the following points in mind as you read the , remember that the report is based on a self-perceptionquestionnaire. Second, you should be aware that your scoresare derived by comparing your answers against those of otherpeople who have completed the questionnaire .

3 Third, rememberthat this Assessment is intended to help clarify things for you butit cannot in any way replace a formal Assessment by a qualifiedmental health 24, 20032 Sources of StressMany things cause Stress . Job dissatisfaction can cause / relationship problems can cause Stress . The demandsof being a parent can cause Stress . A major life change is oftena cause of Stress for example, the death of someone close,illness or moving home. Your present the following : You come across as being as satisfied with your workas the average person. You seem averagely content withfactors that affect job satisfaction like workload, opportunityfor advancement, discretion, rewards, bosses etc. Your workmay cause you Stress from time to time but it does not appearto be a major source of Stress in your : You seem to be as positive about yourrelationship as the next person.

4 You appear to get a fairamount of satisfaction and happiness from the many couples, however, you will have your ups anddowns and relationship difficulties will produce Stress fromtime to time. Your responses do not indicate that this is amajor source of Stress at the present : This does not appear to be a source of Stress asyou have said that you do not have any children at : You have experienced a number of critical lifeevents in the last 2 years that often cause Stress . The mainones are:retirementmajor change in financesmajor change in living conditionsmoving housemajor change in eating 24, 20033 Symptoms of StressStress can produce many different signs and symptoms. Youmay experience emotional symptoms such as being nervousaround people, having intrusive thoughts, panic attacks andbursting into tears.

5 You may experience behavioural symptomssuch as losing interest in things, neglecting your personalappearance and experiencing periods of confusion. You mayexperience physical symptoms such as stomach upsets, dizzyspells, feeling light-headed and headaches. Prolonged stressmay also lead to anxiety and depression. Emotional: You appear to be experiencing some of thecommon emotional symptoms of Stress as frequently as theaverage person who has completed this questionnaire -symptoms such as worrying a lot, finding yourself trembling,having nightmares, being nervous around people, havingintrusive thoughts, experiencing panic attacks and burstinginto tears. It may be an idea to consult a medical professionalfor a fuller : You appear to be experiencing some of thecommon behavioral symptoms of Stress as frequently as theaverage person who has completed this questionnaire -symptoms such as feeling tired, working less efficiently,experiencing periods of confusion, having trouble payingattention, becoming forgetful, feeling irritable and losinginterest in things.

6 It may be an idea to consult a medicalprofessional for a fuller : You appear to be experiencing some of thecommon physical symptoms of Stress as frequently as theaverage person who has completed this questionnaire -symptoms such as stomach upsets, dizzy spells, feelinglight-headed, headaches, chest pains, periods ofbreathlessness, palpitations, colds and skin complaints. Itmay be an idea to consult a medical professional for a 24, 20034 Coping StrategiesPeople cope with Stress in different ways. Some people look forhelp from friends and family, others try to go it alone. Somepeople try to control their feelings and emotions, others blameand/or lash out at other people. Some people try to understandwhat makes them feel stressed, others hope the Stress will goaway if they ignore it.

7 Some people do things to take their mindoff things, others don't know what to do. Some people try tokeep fit and healthy, others let themselves get out of shape andoverweight. Your coping style has the following features. Social Support: Your preferred style seems to be to generallykeep things to yourself and work through things on your own. On occasions, however, you are prepared to talk about yourfeelings and get support from other people. Overall, you seemto make somewhat less use of this coping style than theaverage personSelf-Regulation: This is about being able to manage yourimpulsive feelings and distressing emotions well. Your abilityseems to be as well developed as the average person. Youare able to do this a fair amount of the time but there areoccasions when you lose Solving: People with a problem solving coping styletry to understand the things that make them stressed and trydifferent things to make things better.

8 Your responsessuggest that you do this as often as the average person whohas completed this : People with this coping style try different things totake their mind off the things that cause them anxiety andstress - for example, listening to music, going for walks,shopping etc. You seem to do this as often as the averageperson who has completed this : Your responses suggest that your health and fitnesshas been as good as the average person who has completedthis questionnaire . As far as we can tell, you seem to havehad generally good 24, 20035 Procrastination and PerfectionismIf you are feeling stressed, it could be because you are aprocrastinator or perfectionist. Procrastinators avoid doing thingsand leave things to the last minute and consequently often feelguilty, inadequate and depressed.

9 Perfectionists have very highexpectations of themselves and others. They work hard andwant to do things well and expect other people to be the same. This is fine so long as you don't punish yourself if you don'tachieve your goals every time or if other people sometimes letyou down. Procrastination: There is little or no indication in yourresponses that you put off important tasks. You are generallythe sort of person who plans things well in advance,accomplishes things ahead of schedule and makes : You may make high demands of yourself fromtime to time but your responses do not indicate that you are aperfectionist. You have an average score on this does not seem to be causing you 24, 20036 Mental HealthAlthough short bursts of Stress are not dangerous, longer termor chronic Stress can have serious effects on mental health.

10 Itmay affect your self-esteem and it can bring on depression andanxiety. The SAQ is designed to give a preliminary idea aboutthe presence of mild to moderate Stress symptoms that indicatethe need for further : You seem to have as much sense of worth andself-respect as the average person. In other words, you feelgood about yourself a fair amount of the time, but there areoccasions when you are very self-critical and find it hard torecognise and appreciate your good points. The advicesection of our website suggest some books which offerpractical exercises to build : Your answers indicate that you are experiencingsome depressive symptoms about as frequently as theaverage person who has completed this questionnaire -symptoms such as feeling down in the dumps, feeling uneasy,restless and irritable, feeling desperate and feelingdepressed.