![]() ![]() Therapies that involve the whole family are also being tested. Currently, treatments focus on physical activity, rebuilding the capacity for social interaction, and taking a gradual approach to reengaging with work or study. In turn, it will highlight the need for better treatment options. This leaves families feeling stuck and isolated.Īs global recognition of hikikomori increases, the prevalence of the condition is likely to rise. Mental health as well as educational and social care services are too often focused on responding to more dramatic or visible problems. ![]() This means there are seldom natural triggers to push them to get help. Typically, Japanese parents of hikikomori people dedicate years to ensure their child’s basic living needs are met. Not only does a hikikomori person lose many years of their life in isolation, the condition also affects their family. Experts are also beginning to explore hikikomori’s possible connection with autism, depression, social anxiety and agoraphobia. Instead, they passively observe the world via online gaming and social media in a form of “social death”. Our work on the French hikikomori population and those from other populations show that although many wish society would forget them, they cannot and will not forget the world they left behind. Hikikomori people avoid re-traumatisation by choosing to opt out of the “normal” pathway set out for them by society. It’s possible that Japan’s cultural value system may make this population more vulnerable due to the pressure for collective uniformity and the fear of social shame. Research shows traumatic experiences of shame and defeat are commonly reported as triggers across cultures - such as failing important exams, or not securing a cherished job. Some may use the internet as a window on the world, but they often won’t interact with others. While some hikikomori people, called soto-komori, can manage some activities outside, they will rarely interact with people. They remain socially disconnected from those around them whether they are outside their house or not. Places where active social interaction is expected - such as a school or work - becomes impossible for the person. This includes the affected person being physically isolated in their home for at least six months, cut off from meaningful social relationships, with significant distress and functional impairment - such as avoiding tasks where they might have to interact with someone, or deal with basic self-care needs.Īlongside physical isolation, hikikomori people show an extreme psychological detachment from the social world. There are several core features of hikikomori. The term is now used across the world to describe anyone who fits the criteria. Hikikomori is also increasingly being identified in other countries. Given at least 1.2% of the population (around a million people) are affected, hikikomori is a significant social and health problem. ![]() Hikikomori is currently viewed as a sociocultural mental health phenomenon, rather than a distinct mental illness. Saito chose the term to describe the many young people he saw who didn’t fit criteria for mental health diagnosis, but were nonetheless in a state of extreme, distressing withdrawal. The term hikikomori (derived from the verb hiki “to withdraw” and komori “to be inside”) was coined in 1998 by Japanese psychiatrist Professor Tamaki Saito. Many responded by hiding away to conceal the shame they felt. This is the period when Japan endured an economic “ice age”, which prevented many young people from achieving their goals. Problems with extreme social withdrawal in Japanese youth first gained attention during the 1990s. In Japan, this pattern of behaviour is so common it’s now known as “ hikikomori”. Instead, they show extreme and persistent withdrawal lasting for decades, causing distress to themselves and those who care for and support them. Periods of solace and isolation can also help with important phases of development - such as exploring one’s identity during adolescence.īut some people don’t reemerge from natural periods of isolation. In fact, short-lived periods of withdrawal can reduce acute stress responses and can help us overcome illness and exhaustion. ![]() It’s pretty normal to sometimes feel like you want to hide away from the stresses and pressures of the outside world. ![]()
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