A Survey on ‘Hikikomori’ in a Provincial City in Japan and Factors of the Recovery
Yoshiya Kawanori, Masahiko Kambara

Abstract
In Japan it is one of the major issues that young adults with social withdrawal called Hikikomori would neither relate others personally nor work and spend almost whole time at home after their graduation. The purpose of this study is to research current situations of Hikikomori in a provincial capital Morioka and investigate factors of their recovery. The result showed that hikikomori is expanded from teens to fifties and it is expected that the period of hikikomori might be longer in elders. Also family members were reluctant to consult specified agencies or psychiatrists. As the result showed the important role of the psychiatric support for their recovery, it is needed the recommendation of consulting with support institutions.

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