Examining the relationship between social withdrawal motivations and symptoms of hikikomori

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between social withdrawal motivations (peer isolation, shyness, unsociability, low mood, and avoidance) and symptoms of hikikomori using both variable- and person-oriented analyses. Method: Adolescents (N = 212) participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the Social Withdrawal Motivations Scale and the Avoidance subscale of the Child Social Preference Scale-Revised, the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire, the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 Brief Form, and the Interpersonal sensitivity subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results: Path analysis revealed that peer isolation, shyness, unsociability, and avoidance were associated with symptoms of hikikomori while covarying for age, sex, maladaptive personality, and interpersonal sensitivity. Cluster analysis based on social withdrawal motivations identified four subtypes of adolescents. The group with high social withdrawal motivations showed the highest level of overall personality dysfunction and interpersonal sensitivity. Additionally, the group with high social withdrawal motivations and the group with high avoidance demonstrated higher symptoms of hikikomori compared to the other two groups, after accounting for the effects of the covariates. Conclusions: The findings highlight that the evaluation of co-occurrent social withdrawal motivations may improve the ability to identify those adolescents most in need of support.