Alternative Title
Looking for acute social withdrawal outside Japan
Publication Date
2016
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Study Type
Mixed methods
Department
School for Social Work
Keywords
Hikikomori, Hikikomori-Treatment, Hikikomori-Prevention, Social isolation, Social isolation-Treatment, Social isolation-Prevention, Acute social withdrawal, Culture bound syndrome, Cross-national, Cross-cultural, Social withdrawal, Culture
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether acute social withdrawal (also known as hikikomori) is a culture bound syndrome, or if it exists in cultures outside Japan.
Surveys in both online and paper form were made available on Internet forums and were sent to Internet addiction clinics and private therapists across country. Questions on the survey assessed demographic information and included exploratory questions on treatment for hikikomori, a place for participants to provide information to the mental health community at large, and feedback from hikikomori participants regarding their lived experiences.
The demographic data indicated that acute social withdrawal is present in various countries outside Japan, and the open-ended questions provided information regarding potential treatments, positive and negative ideation toward treatment, and useful data for clinicians that may encounter individuals with acute social withdrawal/hikikomori.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Correy, Evan W., "Moving past the culture bound syndrome : looking for acute social withdrawal outside Japan" (2016). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/1711
Comments
iii, 57 pages. M.S.W., Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Ma., 2016. Includes bibliographical references (pages 39-41)