Exploration of Hikikomori Syndrome in Young Adults in Lahore: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Hikikomori syndrome is a relatively new psychological problem related with serious social outcomes which has attracted lots of attention from mental health professionals particularly after COVID-19 pandemic. The present article is based on a preliminary study that explored the symptoms of hikikomori syndrome in young adults in Lahore extracted from the preliminary phase of an ongoing research project and employed cross sectional research design. Sample was selected from Lahore from October 2022 to January 2023 and comprised of 206 young adults. The sample included both men and women with a mean age of 22 (SD= 6.65) years. Data was collected through demographic form, hikikomori questionnaire and perceived social support scale. Hikikomori symptoms showed significant associations with many demographic variables like age, number of siblings, history of psychological illness. Gender, family system and social support revealed significant differences in hikikomori symptoms. Despite small sample size, present study revealed an interesting set of findings related to hikikomori phenomena.