Relationships Between Boredom Proneness, Mindfulness, Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Use

Abstract

Boredom proneness has been associated with a wide range of social and psychological problems. According to the attentional theory of boredom proneness, boredom results from a deficit in attention (Harris, 2000). The current study investigated the relationship between mindfulness (the ability to attend to the immediate environment) and boredom proneness, as well as the relationship between mindfulness and negative outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and substance use. Subjects (n=138) completed the Boredom Proneness Scale (Farmer & Sundberg, 1986), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983), and a substance use questionnaire. Results show that boredom proneness correlated positively with anxiety, depression, and substance use, and negatively with mindfulness. In addition, mindfulness correlated negatively with anxiety, depression, and substance use. The current study provides initial evidence regarding the relationship between boredom proneness and mindfulness. Future research addressing the nature of this relationship is of importance, given the need for an intervention to address the negative consequences of boredom.