Last Revision on 18 March, 2016

Youth Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Hong Kong

Hikikomori, a phenomenon that is characterised by

levels of social withdrawal (shorter duration). Among the

severe social withdrawal originated from Japan.

25 participants (2.5% of 1010) with a shorter duration of

Individuals with Hikikomori meet several criteria: (1)

social withdrawal, 15 of them are men. Prof. Yip and

spending most of the day and nearly every day confined

colleagues from the research team believe that young

to home, (2) persistently avoiding social situations and

Asian men are more sensitive to failure as they are

social relationships, (3) experiencing interference with

ambitious and have a strong desire to succeed. Thus, they

academic, work, family and social functioning as a result

are easier to withdraw from the society.

of withdrawal, and (4) feeling irritable, ashamed or

Comparison Between Male and Female of

Becoming Socially Withdrawn

Gaw, 2010). This phenomenon is typically exhibited by

adolescents and young adults.
In Hong Kong, Hikikomori is becoming a growing
concern as the problem is getting more and more popular.
Funded by Excel3, Prof Paul Yip, Dr. Michael Chau, and
Prof. Cecilia Cheng along with the research team from the
CSRP conducted a cross-sectional telephone-based

No. of Participants

worried about the situation while it is going on (Teo &

20

15(60%)
15
10(40%)
10

11(58%)
8(42%)

5
0
Less Than 6 Months
Longer Than 6 Months
Male
Duration of Social Withdrawal
Female

survey to explore the phenomenon of Hikikomori in

Factors Associated with Hikikomori

Hong Kong. In this study, social withdrawal is defined as

There are several factors associated with high levels of

individuals who meet the first two diagnostic criteria

social withdrawal, including educational level, negative

adopted from Teo and Gaw (2010), while have not been

life events, ones willingness to express themselves,

diagnosed with any other disorders and have reported a

unemployment, and ones mental health.

duration of 6 months with social withdrawal behaviours

1. Educational Level
It was found that low educational level (form 3 or

Prevalence Comparable to Japan

below) may increase the risk of getting high levels of

In Japan, the lifetime prevalence of Hikikomori among

social withdrawal by 2.3 times, comparing to

young people in their twenties is around 2% (Koyama,

individuals with higher educational level. The

2010). It is estimated there are around 16,900-41,000

research team believed that the less educated group

young people in Hong Kong who may exhibit Hikikomori,

may have worse coping flexibility and tended to

indicating that the prevalence is around 1.9% to as high

perform more high risk behaviours.

as 4.7%. The prevalence of Hikikomori in Hong Kong is

2. Negative Life Events

at an alarming level, which is comparable to Japan or

Negative life events, such as job stress may be one of

even more severe than Japan, the country of origin.

the causes of social withdrawal. Job stress may

increase the chance of an individual to becoming

Gender Difference in Becoming Social Withdrawn

Men have a higher chance than women to exhibit

socially withdrawn by 1.5 times.

3. Willingness to Expressing Distress

Hikikomori. Among the 19 participants (1.9% of 1010)

Individuals with severe social withdrawal are found

classified as exhibiting Hikikomori, 11 of them are men.

to be 0.6 times and estimated to be 0.8 times less

Moreover, we should not neglect individuals with lower

willing to expressing their distress face-to-face and

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through phone respectively. However, they are 1.6

References

times more likely to expressing themselves on forums

Koyama, A., Miyake, Y., Kawakami, N., Tsuchiya, M.,

and blogs.

Tachimori, H., Takeshima, T., & World Mental Health

4. Employment Status

Japan Survey Group. (2010). Lifetime prevalence,

A persons employment status may be a key factor to

psychiatric comorbidity and demographic correlates

a persons higher levels of social withdrawal as well.

of hikikomori in a community population in

Comparing to an employed person, an unemployed

Japan. Psychiatry research, 176(1), 69-74.

person is 6.4 times riskier to becoming social

Teo, A. R., & Gaw, A. C. (2010). Hikikomori, a

withdrawn. A student is estimated to be 1.7 times as

Japanese culture-bound syndrome of social

risky as an employed person to becoming socially

withdrawal?: A proposal for DSM-5. The Journal of

withdrawn.

nervous and mental disease, 198(6), 444-449.

1

Odds Ratio to Becoming Socially Withdrawn

Odds Ratio

6.4

6
4
1.7

1.0

2
0

Employed

Unemployed

Economically
Inactive
Odds Ratio to Becoming Socially Withdrawn

5. Psychological Factor
The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)
measures a persons mental health. A high GHQ-12
total

score

indicates

mental

unhealthiness.

Individuals obtaining a higher score in GHQ-12 have

a 1.1 times higher risk of becoming social withdrawal
while individuals who are experiencing significant
interference with academic, work, family, and social
functioning is 3.8 times riskier in being at a higher
level of social withdrawal.

This synopsis is adopted from:

Wong, P. W. C., Li, T. M. H., Chan, M., Law, Y. W., Chau, M., Cheng, C., Fu, K. W., Bacon-Shone, J., & Yip, P. S. F. (2015). The prevalence and
correlates of severe social withdrawal (hikikomori) in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional telephone-based survey study. International Journal of
Social Psychiatry, 61(4), 330-342. doi: 10.1177/0020764014543711

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