Loneliness in modern world: A case study of Hikikomori from Turkey (eng)

Abstract

Hikikomori is a psychopathological and social syndrome characterized by a complete withdrawal from society for at least six months, lack of interest or willingness to attend school/work, and lack of interest in personal relationships. The Hikikomori phenomenon has often been considered a condition specific to the Japanese context, namely, cultural-bound syndrome. Recently, there are also been very few case reports of HS from other countries. In this case, a 15-year-old male adolescent, who has not been in school for about a year, does not leave his room except for physical needs, and cuts off social communication with everyone, including his family, is presented. As a result of clinical examination and applied scales, the patient's social isolation was associated with Hikikomori syndrome, and then the patient underwent psychosocial training to prevent social isolation. Hikikomori syndrome harms individuals' mental health, social participation, and educational and workforce stability, making it an important global issue. This case is the first report of hikikomori in Turkey and it is important to support hikikomori as an intercultural syndrome.

Keywords

• hikikomori
• social isolation
• social withdrawal
• culture-bound syndrome
• adolescent