What is a hikikomori in Japan?

Abstract. A form of severe social withdrawal, called hikikomori, has been frequently described in Japan and is characterized by adolescents and young adults who become recluses in their parents' homes, unable to work or go to school for months or years.

What do hikikomori do all day?

Definition. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare defines hikikomori as a condition in which the affected individuals refuse to leave their parents' house, do not work or go to school and isolate themselves away from society and family in a single room for a period exceeding six months.

What causes someone to be a hikikomori?

The cause of hikikomori is not well established. Many practitioners report that patients become hikikomori after a stressful event triggers new socially avoidant behaviour that then extends into hikikomori. Some studies find that hikikomori is correlated with dysfunctional family settings or having experienced trauma.

What is the hikikomori problem in Japan?

Across Japan, nearly 1.5 million people have withdrawn from society, leading reclusive lives largely confined within the walls of their home, according to a new government survey. These are Japan's hikikomori, or shut-ins, defined by the government as people who have been isolated for at least six months.

Are there female hikikomori?

However, research has shown that there is an increasing number of middle-aged hikikomori. In addition, many female hikikomori are not acknowledged because women are expected to adopt domestic roles and their withdrawal from society can go unnoticed.

Hikikomori : The Loneliest People In The World

What mental illness is hikikomori?

A form of severe social withdrawal, called hikikomori, has been frequently described in Japan and is characterized by adolescents and young adults who become recluses in their parents' homes, unable to work or go to school for months or years.

How is hikikomori different from depression?

Hikikomori is not depression

Researchers have in fact demonstrated the existence of a "primary hikikomori", a hikikomori that develops before and apart from other diseases; a withdrawal that was not derived from any pre-existing mental disorder.

What is the average age of hikikomori?

Adolescent or young adult. In Italy, most hikikomori are between 14 and 25 years old. In Japan, however, the average age is a lot older and there are many recluses over 40, who started their own isolation during adolescence and have perpetrated it for tens of years.

How long does hikikomori last?

duration of withdrawal: traditionally, hikikomori has been defined as social withdrawal for 6 months or more; however, some advocate a shorter duration (i.e. 3 months) as also being problematic.

Which country has the most hikikomori?

In Japan, an estimated 1.5 million working-age people are living in isolation, a phenomenon known as hikikomori, owing to which they avoid social contact, further raising worries about their mental health and social well-being.

How do hikikomori get food?

Many hikikomori sufferers live with their parents, who may make them food and provide other basics.

Do hikikomori have jobs?

Japan's Shut-Ins, Hikikomori, Are Living With Their Parents and Have No Jobs.

What are the warning signs of hikikomori?

Hikikomori has been defined by a Japanese expert group as having the following characteristics: (1) spending most of the time at home; (2) no interest in going to school or working; (3) persistence of withdrawal for more than 6 months; (4) exclusion of schizophrenia, mental retardation, and bipolar disorder; and (5) ...

How do people afford to be hikikomori?

Otaku hikikomori will go hungry, subsisting on just a few snacks from the convenience store, to afford new otaku goodies. They'll let bills go delinquent and let rent go overdue, if necessary. Some of them do actually have spending money built into their allowance.

Are hikikomori violent?

There are an estimated 50,000 to 1,000,000 hikikomori in Japan. Many experts explain that those hikikomori who resort to violence are not representative of the group at large. Most of the youth, they maintain, simply engage in antisocial behavior without being violent.

Is hikikomori autism?

The present data suggest that hikikomori sufferers are more likely to have autistic tendency, and that hikikomori sufferers with high ASC may have much more difficulty in social communication and social interaction.

What are the hobbies of a hikikomori?

They are known for their very specialised interests and obsessions, especially manga and anime. Many hikikomori often has similar personality traits to otaku, including poor social skills. It can also be similar to the social withdrawal exhibited by people suffering from autism.

Are hikikomori male or female?

Existing literature demonstrates that hikikomori people are younger, most usually men, often from wealthier fami- lies, and reside more in the cities; however, it is argued that women as homemakers are often excluded from hikikomori studies because their hikikomori situations can often be overlooked because of the ...

Do hikikomori exist outside of Japan?

On the other hand, hikikomori-like cases have recently been reported in other countries of varying sociocultural and economic backgrounds such as Hong Kong, Oman and Spain, and our studies based on structured interviews have revealed the existence of hikikomori in India, South Korea and the US⁴.

Why is being a hikikomori bad?

As hikikomori refuse to participate in society, let alone go to work, Japan's economy also suffers. Professor Kingston said: "They diminish the size of the workforce, so contribute to a tighter labour market.

How do you overcome hikikomori?

Listen to the person without judgement and encourage them to take support from experts. Individual support: This includes support from doctors and other healthcare practitioners who can help the person deal with the condition. Assessment of triggers and therapy: This may include individual and/or group therapy.

Do hikikomori have social anxiety?

The authors identified a group of psychiatric disorders characterised by hikikomori-like features including psychosis, social anxiety disorder, avoidant personality disorder, depressive disorders, Internet addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Do hikikomori live alone?

Social withdrawal means hikikomori stay indoors almost every day, and they might live with their families or on their own.

What disorders are similar to hikikomori?

Why do hikikomori isolate themselves?

A hikikomori is a type of person in Japan who locks themselves away in their bedrooms, sometimes for years. This is a relatively new phenomenon in Japan, likely due to rigid social customs and high expectations for academic and business success.