A Matter of Interest: Academic Boredom and Mental Health Among European VET-students

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated a rise in mental health issues among European adolescents, underlining the importance of gaining more insight into the mechanism behind this phenomenon. Among students, valuing their study (subjective value) or experiencing a sense of control over it (subjective control) has been associated with positive mental health. A lack of either has been associated with high levels of boredom during class (academic boredom). The extent to which academic boredom can explain the relationship between either subjective value or control and mental health has not been explored. The current study investigates this possibility with a cross-sectional design among European VET-students (n = 180), aged 15 to 19, since there is relatively little known about this population on the matter of mental health. An online questionnaire was distributed during their Civic Education (CE) course. As expected, a higher sense of value towards CE related to lower levels of academic boredom during CE, which in turn was associated with better mental health among students. No relations were found between CE-related subjective control and either academic boredom or mental health. Future research and interventions aimed at adolescent mental health must consider the role of academic boredom.