Lifetime prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity and demographic correlates of “hikikomori” in a community population in Japan

Abstract The epidemiology of “hikikomori” (acute social withdrawal) in a community population is not clear, although it has been noted for the past decade in Japan. The objective of this study is to clarify the prevalence of “hikikomori” and to examine the relation between “hikikomori” and psychiatr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry research 2010-03, Vol.176 (1), p.69-74
Main Authors: Koyama, Asuka, Miyake, Yuko, Kawakami, Norito, Tsuchiya, Masao, Tachimori, Hisateru, Takeshima, Tadashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Comorbidity
Demography
Epidemiology
Female
Humans
Japan
Japan - epidemiology
Male
Medical sciences
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Mood Disorders - epidemiology
Prevalence
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Social withdrawal
Socioeconomic Factors
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract The epidemiology of “hikikomori” (acute social withdrawal) in a community population is not clear, although it has been noted for the past decade in Japan. The objective of this study is to clarify the prevalence of “hikikomori” and to examine the relation between “hikikomori” and psychiatric disorders. A face-to-face household survey was conducted of community residents ( n = 4134). We defined “hikikomori” as a psychopathological phenomenon in which people become completely withdrawn from society for 6 months or longer. We asked all respondents whether they had any children currently experiencing “hikikomori”. For respondents aged 20–49 years old ( n = 1660), we asked whether they had ever experienced “hikikomori”. A total of 1.2% had experienced “hikikomori” in their lifetime. Among them, 54.5% had also experienced a psychiatric (mood, anxiety, impulse control, or substance-related) disorder in their lifetime. Respondents who experienced “hikikomori” had a 6.1 times higher risk of mood disorder. Among respondents, 0.5% currently had at least one child who had experienced “hikikomori”. The study suggests that “hikikomori” is common in the community population in Japan. While psychiatric disorders were often comorbid with “hikikomori”, half of the cases seem to be “primary hikikomori” without a comorbid psychiatric disorder.
ISSN:0165-1781
1872-7123
DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2008.10.019