Journal of Psychology & Behavioral Science

Boredom Severity, Depression and Alcohol Consumption in Belarus
Iryna Krotava, McWelling Todman

Abstract
Background: There is growing evidence that boredom, even in the absence of depressive mood, is associated with increased levels of alcohol and substance misuse. However, very little of that evidence comes from studies conducted in Eastern European countries where alcohol consumption is typically high. Method: A sample of 55 Byelorussian adults were assessed using Russian-language versions of the State Boredom Measure [SBM], Boredom Proneness Scale [BPS], the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]). The data was collected in two waves over a nine month period. Results: Although levels of depression, boredom proneness and participant’s recollections of boredom over the preceding two weeks were found to be highly inter-correlated, the association between alcohol use and recollections of having frequent boredom episodes of more than three hours during the preceding two weeks remained significant even after controlling for depression and boredom proneness. Among males the best predictor of current alcohol use was the recollection of having had a high frequency of sustained boredom episodes (>3hrs) during the preceding two weeks. Among women, depression was the best predictor.

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