The nature and magnitude of psychosocial stresses preceding adolescent hospitalization were investigated. The findings indicate that the adolescent psychiatric patients have a greater magnitude of stressful life events when compared with general hospitalized adolescents and normal adolescents. The difference is found to be largely quantitative rather than qualitative. The results of the present study utilizing a combined version of Coddington's Junior High School and Senior High School Social Readjustment Rating Questionnaires is similar to previous findings on adult populations using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale.