Psychological distress and state boredom during the COVID-19 outbreak in China: the role of meaning in life and media use

Abstract

Background: Epidemics are associated with increased burden of psychological distress. However, the role of boredom on mental health during epidemic periods has seldom been explored. Objective: This study attempted to examine the effect of state boredom on psychological outcomes, and the role of media use and meaning in life among the indirectly exposed Chinese adults in the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. Method: An online survey was administered to 917 Chinese adults on 28 January 2020 (1 week after the official declaration of person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus). Selfreport questionnaires were used to assess state boredom, anxiety, depression, stress, media use and meaning in life. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted. Results: Our results indicated that the effect of state boredom on anxiety and stress, but not depression, were mediated by media use and that sense of meaning in life modified this association. Meaning in life served as a risk factor, rather than a protective factor for the negative psychological outcomes when people experienced boredom. The association between boredom and media use was significant for high but not low meaning in life individuals. Conclusion: These findings demonstrated that boredom and media use were associated with an increased burden or psychological distress in the sample. It is important to pay attention to the possible negative impact of boredom and media use during COVID-19, and find more ways to cope with boredom, especially those with high presence of meaning in life.

Perceived Severity of COVID-19 and Post-pandemic Consumption Willingness: The Roles of Boredom and Sensation-Seeking

“…As stated above, elevated perceived severity of COVID-19 led to active health-protective behaviors that made people afraid to leave their homes. Consequently, the monotony of repetitive life from activity limitations reduced people's arousal levels and increased people's feelings of boredom (Chao et al, 2020), which resulted in increased sensation-seeking expressions (Dahlen et al, 2004;Jiang et al, 2009;Jee et al, 2010). Those processes let people need more and stronger external stimuli to achieve the desired state of arousal; otherwise, people may feel unpleasant (Zhang et al, 2016).…”

“…Simple and repetitive external stimuli reduce individuals’ arousal levels and create boredom ( van Tilburg and Igou, 2017 ). Long-term activity limitations made people experienced repetitive and monotonous external stimuli; consequently, people’s arousal levels during the pandemic were far below the average ( Chao et al, 2020 ). Although the optimal amount of external stimulation preferred by each individual varies, the long social distancing period has generally caused high levels of boredom in most of the population ( Li W. et al, 2020 ).…”

“…As stated above, during the pandemic, a high level of perceived severity of COVID-19 made people reluctant to engage with the outside world ( Qiu et al, 2020 ). The long period of physical and psychological limitations severely deprived people of external stimuli, resulting in increased boredom and sensation-seeking expressions ( Chao et al, 2020 ; Droit-Volet et al, 2020 ; Kim, 2020 ). We suggest that after the COVID-19 pandemic is effectively controlled, people are highly likely to engage in a variety of consumption activities precisely because shopping is a complex stimulus that can relieve consumers’ boredom state ( Sundström et al, 2019 ) and satisfy their sensation-seeking needs ( Punj, 2011 ; Deng and Gao, 2015 ).…”

Predictors of managers’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Extant research on mental health during COVID-19, however, focuses largely on how patients, healthcare workers, and the general public are adversely affected (Chao, Chen, Liu, Yang, & Hall, 2020;Chen et al, 2020;Torales, O'Higgins, Castaldelli-Maia, & CONTACT Stephen X. Zhang stephen.…”

“…Extant research on mental health during COVID-19, however, focuses largely on how patients, healthcare workers, and the general public are adversely affected (Chao, Chen, Liu, Yang, & Hall, 2020 ; Chen et al, 2020 ; Torales, O’Higgins, Castaldelli-Maia, & Ventriglio, 2020 ), and a literature search reveals no research on managers’ mental health during pandemics at all. This is unfortunate not only because managers might be particularly vulnerable but also because managers’ mental health issues may have important consequences.…”