The phenomenon of hikikomori: review of studies

Objective. Japan’s hikikomori phenomenon (acute and/or severe social withdrawal behavior among youth) is considered as growing internationalsocio-psychological problem, more youth social withdrawal cases in different countries have been discovered recently. The purpose of this paper is to consolidate the results of studies conducted in Japan and other countries to provide a better understanding of the phenomenon of hikikomori.

Method. This review examined the current available scientific information on youth social withdrawal in the academic databases: Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and PubMed. Results.

As a result of our analysis of the studies we synthesized the information into the following categories: (1) definitions of hikikomori, (2) hikikomori and mental disorder, (3) developmental theories, (4) factors associated with youth social withdrawal and (5) interventions for socially withdrawn youths. Accordingly, there are diverse and controversial definitions for youth social withdrawal. Studies of youth social withdrawal are based on models that lead to quite different conclusions. Researchers with an attachment perspective view youth social withdrawal as a negative phenomenon, whereas those who adopt Erikson’s developmental theory view it more positively as a process of seeking self-knowledge. Different interventions for socially withdrawn youths have been developed, mainly in Japan, but evidence-based practice is almost non-existent.

Conclusion. The analysis demonstrated the heterogeneity of the phenomenon of hikikomori, different subgroups were identified. Researchers proposed a theoretical framework that views youth social withdrawal as resulting of interaction between psychological, family, sociocultural, behavioral and biological factors. Future validation of the framework will help drive forward advances in theory and interventions for youth social withdrawal as an emerging issue in developed countries.

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