A Survey of Changes in the Psychological State of Individuals with Social Withdrawal (hikikomori) in the Context of the COVID Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID) 2019 pandemic has been reported to have resulted in psychological disturbances. The Japanese term “hikikomori” refers to a state of preferring to stay at home. The COVID pandemic provided an opportunity to extend our current understanding of hikikomori by examining the psychological states of individuals who were in this state under lockdown, during which, paradoxically, their condition may have been adaptive. Methods: We administered a questionnaire to examine psychological changes among 600 people with hikikomori traits in Japan. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Subjective Stress Scale, and Stigma Questions for hikikomori were administered retrospectively at three time points. We also collected descriptive data regarding the participants’ coping strategies. Results: The participants’ sense of stigma regarding hikikomori was improved during the pandemic, whereas depression and anxiety worsened. The participants with ‘definite’ hikikomori (they met the diagnostic criteria) reported more severe depression and anxiety than those with ‘possible’ hikikomori. Their coping strategies were adaptive to the pandemic situation. Conclusion: Although the sense of stigma against hikikomori was improved and adaptive strategies were employed, the participants with hikikomori experienced a worsening of depression and anxiety during the COVID lockdowns. The improvement of stigma and the participants’ indoor adaptive coping strategies could not ameliorate the mental state of hikikomori. Therapeutic interventions should be considered in the future for definite hikikomori meeting the criteria.