According to Holmes and Rahe, arrange stressful life events in sequence from highest to lowest in terms of their severity:

(A) Unexpected accident or trauma
(B) Break-up with friend
(C) Illness of family member
(D) Death of a close family member
(E) Change in eating habits
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is (D), (A), (C), (B), (E).

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, also known as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), is a well-known psychological tool developed in 1967 to measure the relationship between life stressors and physical or mental illness. Each life event is assigned a weight in the form of Life Change Units (LCUs). The higher the LCU value, the more stress the event causes and the higher its severity.

To arrange the given events in sequence from highest to lowest severity, we can analyze their corresponding positions and relative stress values on the scale:
1. (D) Death of a close family member: This is one of the most critical life changes, carrying a very high severity score of approximately 63 LCUs.
2. (A) Unexpected accident or trauma: Represented on the scale under major personal injury or illness, this ranks highly with a stress value of approximately 53 LCUs.
3. (C) Illness of family member: A major change in the health of a family member carries a significant stress value of approximately 44 LCUs.
4. (B) Break-up with friend: Relational stress involving friends, peer conflicts, or changes in social interactions carries a lower weight, generally falling around 18 to 20 LCUs.
5. (E) Change in eating habits: This represents a minor disruption to daily routines and has one of the lowest ratings on the scale, valued at 15 LCUs.

Comparing these values from highest to lowest severity gives the order: Death of a close family member (D) ⇒ Unexpected accident or trauma (A) ⇒ Illness of family member (C) ⇒ Break-up with friend (B) ⇒ Change in eating habits (E).
Therefore, the correct sequence is (D), (A), (C), (B), (E).