Boredom and meaningful activity in adults experiencing homelessness: A mixed-methods study

Abstract

Background. Boredom has been reported as a frequent problem experienced by homeless persons, with implications for mental and social well-being. Purpose. This study aimed to explore the nature and impact of boredom in the lives of homeless and formerly homeless persons. Method. A mixed-methods design was used to engage 13 participants in a structured 92-item quantitative interview using six standardized measures, followed by a semistructured qualitative interview. Correlational analyses were performed with the data compiled from the quantitative interviews, and grounded theory strategies were used to analyze our qualitative data. The two analyses were integrated at the stage of interpretation. Findings. Boredom was described as a profound and pervasive experience for homeless persons, imposing deleterious impacts on mental well-being and driving substance use. A strong positive correlation between meaningful activity and mental well-being (r s ¼ .767, p <. 01) and a strong negative correlation between boredom and belonging in one's community (r s ¼-.771, p < .01) were identified. Implications. Boredom is a critical topic of study for occupational therapy in the area of homelessness. Future research is needed to design and test interventions to optimize the mental well-being, participation, and social connectedness of this population. Abré gé Description. L'ennui a été décrit comme un problème vécu fréquemment par les personnes sans-abri et entraînant des conséquences pour le bien-être mental et social. But. Cette étude visait à explorer la nature et l'impact de l'ennui sur la vie de personnes sans-abri et anciennement sans-abri. Méthodologie. Un devis à méthodologie mixte a été utilisé pour faire participer 13 sujets à un entretien structuré comportant 92 questions quantitatives basées sur six mesures normatives, suivi d'un entretien qualitatif semi-structuré. Des analyses corrélationnelles ont été effectuées avec les données compilées à partir des entretiens quantitatifs, et des stratégies de théorisation ancrée ont été utilisées pour les données qualitatives. Les deux analyses ont été intégrées à l'étape de l'interprétation. Résultats. L'ennui a été décrit comme une expérience profonde et répandue chez les personnes sans-abri, qui entraîne des effets néfastes pour le bien-être mental, de même que l'usage de substances psychoactives. Une forte corrélation positive a été observée entre les activités signifiantes et le bien-être mental [r s ¼ 0,767, p <0, 01], et une forte corrélation négative a été observée entre l'ennui et le sentiment d'appartenance à la communauté [r s ¼-0,771, p < 0,01]. Conséquences. L'ennui est un sujet d'étude important en ergothérapie dans le domaine de l'itinérance. D'autres recherches devront être menées pour concevoir et tester des interventions visant à optimiser le bien-être mental, la participation et l'appartenance sociale de cette clientèle.

Boredom in inpatient mental healthcare settings: a scoping review

“…Some studies indicate, for instance, that boredom may be associated with the promotion of curiosity and perhaps creativity (Haager et al, 2016). A much larger body of literature, however, suggests that when boredom is profound and pervasive it may lead to serious implications for mental health including suicidal ideation and risky behaviour (O'Neill, 2015) and substance misuse (Corvinelli, 2005;Marshall et al, 2019;O'Neill, 2014). The contribution of boredom to mental illness is a critical topic of study for occupational therapy because of its relationship with performance and engagement in meaningful activities, which forms the basis of occupational therapy research and practice.…”

A Multilevel Intervention Framework for Supporting People Experiencing Homelessness with Pets

“…Relatedly, pets can provide an opportunity to give and receive unconditional love, an experience that may be otherwise difficult to have while living precariously without a home [ 28 , 33 , 34 , 37 ]. As boredom is a common issue for people experiencing homelessness [ 39 , 40 ], the responsibilities associated with pet ownership may also buffer against this daily stressor [ 33 ]. For some people, particularly youth, pet dogs also offer protection and safety while living on the streets [ 28 , 35 , 37 ].…”

Meaningful Activity and Boredom in the Transition from Homelessness: Two Narratives

“…We view this as an opportunity not only to compare and contrast individual experiences of boredom and meaningful activity engagement during this transition but also to examine how individuals conceptualize their individual stories during this experience. We have published our baseline findings in a separate publication (Marshall, Davidson, et al, 2019).…”

“…All of these studies were retrospective in design, thereby limiting our understanding of how meaningful activity changes over time as individuals settle into being housed. Although there are a few studies exploring boredom among homeless persons (Marshall, Davidson, et al, 2019;O'Neill, 2014O'Neill, , 2015, none explore the experience of boredom during the transition from homeless to housed. We carried out this study to address the research questions: (b) How are meaningful activity and boredom experienced during the transition from homeless to housed?…”

“…Emerging research has identified that homeless persons experience exclusion from meaningful activities, and how they occupy their time is often dictated by the various institutions on which they rely to meet their basic needs (Marshall et al, 2017). While homeless, this lack of engagement in meaningful activity results in a deep and pervasive boredom and a lack of meaning that imposes negative influences on mental well-being (Marshall, Davidson, et al, 2019). Barriers to engagement in meaningful activity and high levels of boredom appear to persist or become even more pronounced upon leaving homelessness (Marshall et al, 2018), yet there are no known prospective studies that have explored meaningful activity engagement and boredom before and after homelessness.…”