![]() Mr Praveen Nair, a psychologist at Raven Counselling and Consultancy, said that there are underlying mental illnesses that could lead to individuals experiencing hikikomori. Dr Marcus Tan, a consultant psychiatrist at Nobel Psychological Wellness Clinic, which is part of Healthway Medical Group, said: “At best it is but a descriptor of a set of behavioural characteristics.” Psychiatrists and psychologists told TODAY that hikikomori is not a psychiatric diagnosis per se. Experts in Hong Kong estimate that there could be 140,000 young people experiencing hikikomori there. In Japan, a government survey in 2015 showed there were an estimated 541,000 people – or 1.57 per cent of the population – aged between 15 and 39 affected by hikikomori.Ī South Korean study in 2005 showed that there were 33,000 youths who were socially withdrawn. Unlike in countries such as Japan and South Korea, there is a lack of in-depth studies on the issue in Singapore or figures on how many are socially withdrawn. The more isolated the youth is, the more fearful he is of interacting with others.” Ms Cindy Ng, the director of professional standards at Methodist Welfare Services, said: “It is like a downward spiral where the youth sinks deeper and deeper with time. The lack of intervention though could only make matters worse. ![]() There is also a fear of meeting others aside from family.Īs a result, parents too are at a loss as to whether they should seek help and how to go about doing it. Primarily, it’s because they refuse to make contact with professionals offering help either due to denial or the stigma attached. It’s just that they go largely unreported because they are not coming forward to seek help, said social workers and psychologists. Social workers and private psychologists and psychiatrists told TODAY that they see up to five cases a year, with most of them teens and young adults aged between 10 and 39.īut the number of people experiencing hikikomori could be bigger. That does not mean there are no cases at all. The Institute of Mental Health has not seen any cases of hikikomori and there are no published local studies on the issue. In Singapore, however, it remains unclear as to how many individuals have the condition. ![]() It was only recently that she was told by a psychologist that her situation was a case of hikikomori – a term coined by Japanese psychiatrist Tamaki Saito to describe adolescents or adults who withdraw from society, isolating and confining themselves to the walls of their homes for six months or longer. She became reclusive when she decided to shut down her café, which she opened after graduating from university with a degree in advertising.Īsked whether something had triggered her to become a recluse, she replied: “It just naturally happened and I never thought I needed a reason for that because staying alone in my own world was just so much better than anything else.”ĭuring the time she lived in isolation, Jane – who is now 31 and requested anonymity – largely relied on her savings. “I couldn’t do anything other than compulsively overthink and self-harm,” she said, declining to elaborate. But there were days when her mind slipped into an abyss. On some days, she would listen to music, watch videos, play the guitar or read. Instead of seeking help, Jane (not her real name) decided to shut herself off from the outside world, spending most of her time alone at home.įor more than two years she lived like a hermit. SINGAPORE - She was 27 and suffering from depression in 2015. ![]()
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