Establishing the Behavioural Phenotype of Hikikomori in Taiwanese Adults: An Online Survey

Hikikomori, or severe social withdrawal, is a behavioural condition characterising individuals who spend most of their time at home with no interest in social interactions and relationships for at least 6 months. First identified in Japan, it has now received increasing recognition as a growing health issue. The extent of the problem, however, has been hotly debated. On the one hand, some have argued that it is condition that characterizes specific Asian countries that have experienced recent rapid socioeconomic and cultural changes. On the other hand, others have argued for its presence in Western countries such as Australia, US, and Italy. While this debate continues, it is notable that this repertoire of behaviours has still not been systematically studied in Taiwan, a country with similar social and economic challenges to countries such as Japan and China, where extreme social withdrawal has been established. Therefore, this study aims to discover the presence of Hikikomori in Taiwan. A survey was distributed via social networks, online forums and bulletin board system (BBS) in Taiwan. Participants provided demographic information as well information on social withdrawal behaviours and any associated psychiatric problems. 446 respondents (163 males) aged 18-45 with full data were collected. 35 respondents (19 males) met the criteria of Hikikomori. Amongst these, 5 were not in education or employment. As the first study systematically investigating this issue in Taiwan, we showed similar findings to other Asian countries