Boredom in Recovery for Adult Substance Users With HIV/AIDS Attending an Urban Day Treatment Program

Abstract

This qualitative dissertation study used grounded theory methods to explore the experience of boredom in recovery from substance use disorder with eight adults who also have HIV/AIDS. Boredom is the pervasive perception of nothingness that gives time to reflect. Boredom was revealed to be more than a seemingly harmless phenomenon that persists decades into recovery, even when meaningful occupation outside of substance use is achieved. Boredom becomes less harmful with the achievement of meaningful occupation, but it is still tenacious and deleterious. Boredom can be useful to an adult with HIV/AIDS, however. Implications for the profession's core value of meaningfulness are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• adults
• boredom
• HIV/AIDS
• meaningfulness
• recovery
• substance use

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTs

The author would like to acknowledge her committee members, Dr. Jim Hinojosa, Dr. Ruth Segal, and Dr. Perry Halkitis, for their invaluable help. She would also like to thank the Metropolitan New York District of the New York State Occupational Therapy Association for funding the pilot study for this dissertation research.

Notes

Legend: SI = Sexual Identity, MSW = Men who have sex with women, MSM = Men who have sex with men, WSW = Women who have sex with women, WSM = Women who have sex with men, CD4 = Cluster Designation 4 t-cell (copies/mL blood), Viral Load = Un-detectable: Under 50 copies of HIV virus/mL blood, and GED = General Education Development.