What is the definition of “hikikomori”?
A person dealing with hikikomori lives in seclusion in a room, relying only on his parents for a long time without working in isolation from society and relationships with people. The word “hikikomori” was first coined in Japan, and the meaning of the word was suggested by a Japanese psychiatrist as a phenomenon of a person suffering from mental or mental distress (Teo and Gaw, 2010). The primary symptom of hikikomori is a lack of interest or will in life, as well as an inability to maintain a human relationship after being quarantined in a room for more than six months. As the number of people with these characteristics continues to rise in Japan, it becomes a social issue.
Why do hikikomori symptoms increase in society?
Hikikomori happens when a person has no social life and spends all of his time in his room. As a result, they are unable to engage in any economic activities and must rely solely on their parents. As a result, the number of people experiencing symptoms of self-isolation continues to rise in our society. The pressure to have a good job when it’s time to find a job causes this symptom, and repeated failures lead to depression and major mental damage (McKirdy, 2019). In addition, the digital age was activated by the development of science and technology, and people valued communication in the virtual world, not in the real world (Lewis, 2021). Thus, their ability to interact with people in the real world decreased, and these symptoms appeared as the time they spent in the room increased.
Is hikikomori related to mental illness?
The majority of hikikomori patients had depression, according to statistics. In other words, it suggested that if they avoided social situations and continued to experience depressive symptoms, they might become hikikomori. They have also been diagnosed with depression and autism. These mental disorders, which are associated with the cause of hikikomori due to a decrease in self-esteem and increased depression, may cause difficulty communicating in interpersonal relationships in social life (Katsuki et al., 2020).
How can we overcome hikikomori?
In the case of people suffering from hikikomori, we need to notice where they feel depressed. So, these symptoms can improve if you overcome the situation that causes depression. In addition, as these problems increase, they can develop into social problems, so programs should be provided for them in society. In other words, since they are disconnected from social interaction, activating human relationships and social interactions in society will increase their communication skills, and if they get a job, hikikomori could be stopped (Jing, 2021).
Conclusion
The number of people diagnosed with hikikomori—a mental health phenomenon in which people who are isolated from society and spend all of their time in their rooms in Japanese society—is growing. This has become a phenomenon in which human relations cannot be maintained due to employment pressures and depression caused by failure. These signs are also linked to depression and the Jaffe spectrum. If this situation worsens and hikikomori becomes more prevalent in society, social problems may arise; therefore, society should assist them in escaping hikikomori life.
References
Jing, Y. (2021). Demystifying Hikikomori: The Hermits Of Modern-Day Japan – Sunway Echo Media. [online] Echo Media. Available at: https://sunwayechomedia.com/2021/10/29/demystifying-hikikomori-the-hermits-of-modern-day-japan/ [Accessed 7 January 2023].
Katsuki, R., Tateno, M., Kubo, H., Kurahara, K., Hayakawa, K., Kuwano, N., Kanba, S. and Kato, T.A. (2020). Autism spectrum conditions in hikikomori : A pilot case–control study. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 74(12), pp.652–658. doi:10.1111/pcn.13154.
Lewis, L. (2021). Was Japan’s ‘lost’ generation ahead of the virtual curve?. Financial Times. [online] 9 Nov. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/1a609e13-c785-44ec-9536-e02b9b6e8fa8 [Accessed 6 January 2023].
McKirdy, A. (2019). The prison inside: Japan’s hikikomori lack relationships, not physical spaces. [online] The Japan Times. Available at: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2019/06/01/lifestyle/prison-inside-japans-hikikomori-lack-relationships-not-physical-spaces/ [Accessed 6 January 2023].
Teo, A.R. and Gaw, A.C. (2010). Hikikomori, a Japanese Culture-Bound Syndrome of Social Withdrawal? The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, [online] 198(6), pp.444–449. doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e3181e086b1.
