Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY
Volume 61, Issue 4, Pages 330-342Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0020764014543711
Keywords
Hong Kong; severe social withdrawal behavior; hikikomori; epidemiology; social communication; psychopathology; youth social issues
Categories
Funding
- ExCEL3
- University of Hong Kong
- Faculty Human Resource Committee (FHRC) of the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
- Social Science Research Centre
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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 12-29years 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 6months), (b) local proposed criterion (less than 6months) 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 6months, less than 6months 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 In terms of the correlates, the internationally and locally defined socially withdrawn youths are similar, while the self-perceived non-problematic group is comparable to the comparison group.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 6months 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.
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