journal article Jun 24, 2019

Hikikomori : Multidimensional understanding, assessment, and future international perspectives

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/pcn.12895
Abstract
Hikikomori, a severe form of social withdrawal, has long been observed in Japan mainly among youth and adolescents since around the 1970s, and has been especially highlighted since the late 1990s. Moreover, hikikomori‐like cases have recently been reported in many other countries. Hikikomori negatively influences not only the individual's mental health and social participation, but also wider education and workforce stability, and as such is a novel urgent global issue. In this review, we introduce the history, definition, diagnostic evaluation, and interventions for hikikomori and also the international prevalence of hikikomori outside Japan. We propose a hypothesis regarding the globalization of hikikomori based on domestic and international perspectives. In addition, we introduce our latest assessment system for hikikomori (including the latest version of the ‘proposed diagnostic criteria of hikikomori for the future DSM/ICD diagnostic systems’) and propose therapeutic strategies, including family approaches and individualized therapies. Finally, we present future challenges that may lead to solutions for an internationalized hikikomori.
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Cited By
265
American Journal of Qualitative Res...
Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscienc...
Metrics
265
Citations
143
References
Details
Published
Jun 24, 2019
Vol/Issue
73(8)
Pages
427-440
License
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Funding
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation
Cite This Article
Takahiro A. Kato, Shigenobu Kanba, Alan R. Teo (2019). Hikikomori : Multidimensional understanding, assessment, and future international perspectives. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 73(8), 427-440. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12895
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