Hikikomori, a Phenomenon of Social Withdrawal and Isolation in Young Adults Marked by an Anomic Response to Coping Difficulties: A Qualitative Study Exploring Individual Experiences from First- and Second-Person Perspectives

Hikikomori is a recent phenomenon among young adults in which they isolate themselves from social contacts and responsibility for more than 6 months. This problem has assumed epidemic proportions in Japan and has been widely discussed across disciplines. Previous studies have associated hikikomori with a maladaptation to structural change, an emergent mental problem that needs new diagnosis, or an under-diagnosed schizophrenic disorder. Most previous work has adopted a clinical perspective, and there have been no qualitative studies exploring the individual feelings of people suffering from the syndrome. We adopted a qualitative method using a grounded theory approach. Data collection and analysis took place between September 2006 and August 2008. Theoretical sampling included eight informants from snowball sampling and an online observation consisting of 160 online participants. Analysis focused on informants’ firstand secondperson experiences of hikikomori. Data analysis revealed one overriding theme: coping difficulties consisting of the two categories stasis and expression. As a result of conflicting demands and reduced autonomy, respondents experienced stasis, which prevented them from moving forward; “hiding” or “avoiding” heightened the expression of their behaviors. This is the first study to explore the in-depth experience of individuals suffering from hikikomori syndrome in a non-clinical setting. We argue that hikikomoriis not a result of asocial behavior, but rather an anomic response to a situation that informants felt powerless to change and from which they could see no way out.