IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v61y2015i4p330-342.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The prevalence and correlates of severe social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey study

Author

Listed:
  • Paul WC Wong
  • Tim MH Li
  • Melissa Chan
  • YW Law
  • Michael Chau
  • Cecilia Cheng
  • KW Fu
  • John Bacon-Shone
  • Paul SF Yip

Abstract

Background: Severe social withdrawal behaviors among young people have been a subject of public and clinical concerns. Aims: This study aimed to explore the prevalence of social withdrawal behaviors among young people aged 12–29 years in Hong Kong. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey was conducted with 1,010 young individuals. Social withdrawal behaviors were measured with the proposed research diagnostic criteria for hikikomori and were categorized according to the (a) international proposed duration criterion (more than 6 months), (b) local proposed criterion (less than 6 months) and (c) with withdrawal behaviors but self-perceived as non-problematic. The correlates of social withdrawal among the three groups were examined using multinomial and ordinal logistic regression analyses. Results: The prevalence rates of more than 6 months, less than 6 months and self-perceived non-problematic social withdrawal were 1.9%, 2.5% and 2.6%, respectively. In terms of the correlates, the internationally and locally defined socially withdrawn youths are similar, while the self-perceived non-problematic group is comparable to the comparison group. Conclusions: The study finds that the prevalence of severe social withdrawal in Hong Kong is comparable to that in Japan. Both groups with withdrawal behaviors for more or less than 6 months share similar characteristics and are related to other contemporary youth issues, for example, compensated dating and self-injury behavior. The self-perceived non-problematic group appears to be a distinct group and the withdrawal behaviors of its members may be discretionary.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul WC Wong & Tim MH Li & Melissa Chan & YW Law & Michael Chau & Cecilia Cheng & KW Fu & John Bacon-Shone & Paul SF Yip, 2015. "The prevalence and correlates of severe social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey study," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(4), pages 330-342, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:61:y:2015:i:4:p:330-342
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764014543711
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764014543711
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764014543711?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alan R. Teo, 2010. "A New Form of Social Withdrawal in Japan: a Review of Hikikomori," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 56(2), pages 178-185, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Silvia Rita Sedita, 2022. "Dal codice enigma al metaverso recensione a l?ascesa della societ? algoritmica," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 157-160.
    2. Santiago Ovejero & Irene Caro-Cañizares & Victoria de León-Martínez & Enrique Baca-Garcia, 2014. "Prolonged social withdrawal disorder: A hikikomori case in Spain," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 60(6), pages 562-565, September.
    3. Or Hareven & Tamar Kron & David Roe & Danny Koren, 2022. "The scope and nature of prolonged social withdrawal in Israel: An initial quantitative and qualitative investigation," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 68(2), pages 301-308, March.
    4. à ngeles Malagón-Amor & David Córcoles-Martínez & Luis M Martín-López & Víctor Pérez-SolÃ, 2015. "Hikikomori in Spain: A descriptive study," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(5), pages 475-483, August.
    5. Coeli, Gianluca & Planas-Lladó, Anna & Soler-Masó, Pere, 2023. "The relevance of educational contexts in the emergence of Social Withdrawal (hikikomori). A review and directions for future research," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    6. Ventre, Viviana & Martino, Roberta & Cruz Rambaud, Salvador & Maturo, Fabrizio & Porreca, Annamaria, 2024. "An original approach to anomalies in intertemporal choices through functional data analysis: Theory and application for the study of Hikikomori syndrome," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    7. Naoji Kondo & Motohiro Sakai & Yasukazu Kuroda & Yoshikazu Kiyota & Yuji Kitabata & Mie Kurosawa, 2013. "General condition of hikikomori (prolonged social withdrawal) in Japan: Psychiatric diagnosis and outcome in mental health welfare centres," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(1), pages 79-86, February.
    8. Yura Loscalzo & Cristian Nannicini & I-Ting Huai-Ching Liu & Marco Giannini, 2022. "Hikikomori Risk Inventory (HRI-24): A new instrument for evaluating Hikikomori in both Eastern and Western countries," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 68(1), pages 90-107, February.
    9. Alexander Krieg & Jane R. Dickie, 2013. "Attachment and hikikomori: A psychosocial developmental model," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(1), pages 61-72, February.
    10. John W. M. Yuen & Yoyo K. Y. Yan & Victor C. W. Wong & Wilson W. S. Tam & Ka-Wing So & Wai Tong Chien, 2018. "A Physical Health Profile of Youths Living with a “Hikikomori” Lifestyle," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-13, February.
    11. Michelle Jin Yee Neoh & Alessandro Carollo & Mengyu Lim & Gianluca Esposito, 2023. "Hikikomori: A Scientometric Review of 20 Years of Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-19, April.
    12. Hiromi Taniguchi & Gayle Kaufman, 2019. "Self-Construal, Social Support, and Loneliness in Japan," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 941-960, September.
    13. Alan R Teo, 2013. "Social isolation associated with depression: A case report of hikikomori," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(4), pages 339-341, June.
    14. Alessandra Santona & Francesca Lionetti & Giacomo Tognasso & Chiara Fusco & Graziana Maccagnano & Danila Barreca & Laura Gorla, 2023. "Sensitivity and Attachment in an Italian Sample of Hikikomori Adolescents and Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-14, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:61:y:2015:i:4:p:330-342. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.