"Wasting time": a qualitative study of stroke survivors' experiences of boredom in non-therapy time during inpatient rehabilitation.

STROKE prognosis; PATIENT compliance; PATIENT autonomy; RESEARCH funding; QUALITATIVE research; SECONDARY analysis; HOSPITAL care; INTERVIEWING; EMOTIONS; FUNCTIONAL status; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; THEMATIC analysis; TIME management; STROKE rehabilitation; CONVALESCENCE; RESEARCH methodology; CONCEPTUAL structures; STROKE patients; AFFECT (Psychology); HEALTH facilities; SOCIAL support; PSYCHOSOCIAL factors; PATIENTS' attitudes; RELAXATION for health; SOCIALIZATION; PATIENT participation

Stroke survivors regularly report experiencing boredom during inpatient rehabilitation which may detrimentally affect mood, learning and engagement in activities important for functional recovery. This study explores how stroke survivors meaningfully occupy their non-therapy time and their experiences of boredom, to further our understanding of this complex phenomenon. Secondary analysis of transcripts from semi-structured interviews with stroke survivors exploring activity during non-therapy time. Transcripts were coded and analysed using a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive thematic analysis, guided by a published boredom framework. Analysis of 58 interviews of 36 males and 22 females, median age 70 years, revealed four main themes: (i) Resting during non-therapy time is valued, (ii) Managing "wasted" time, (iii) Meaningful environments support autonomy and restore a sense of normality, and (iv) Wired to be social. Whilst limited therapy, social opportunities and having "nothing to do" were common experiences, those individuals who felt in control and responsible for driving their own stroke recovery tended to report less boredom during their rehabilitation stay. Creating rehabilitation environments that support autonomy, socialisation and opportunities to participate in activity are clear targets to reduce boredom during non-therapy time, increase meaningful engagement and possibly improve rehabilitation outcomes post-stroke. Stroke survivors with a low sense of autonomy are at greater risk of boredom and may benefit from person-centred strategies to support participation in meaningful activities during non-therapy time whilst undertaking inpatient rehabilitation. Review and reduction of paternalistic practices within traditional models of care, to increase patient autonomy, may empower stroke survivors to drive their own activity and reduce boredom. The redesign and reorganisation of rehabilitation environments to increase opportunities for socialisation and access to nature and the outdoors may reduce boredom during inpatient rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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