Looking at a beautiful moon while immersed in a lake of petroleum: Narratives from Italian individuals with hikikomori

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the hikikomori experience of Italian young adults to detect some psychosocial patterns of hikikomori. A phenomenological analysis was conducted on the narratives of 17 individuals with hikikomori (9 men, 18–39 aged), who posted their stories of social isolation via an online forum. The analysis detected ten themes synthesizing the psychological structure of the participants’ lived experience, which were grouped into three overarching areas respectively dealing with passive identity, early traumatic experiences, and refusal of social participation. Overall, the findings support the psychosocial developmental theory of hikikomori about the reactivation of past insecure attachments and the anxiety associated with novelty and challenge. Limitations, suggestions for future research and clinical implications for individuals with hikikomori and their families are briefly discussed.

Keywords

• hikikomori
• narrative
• psychiatry
• social withdrawal
• phenomenological analysis