Hikikomori cases increase in Spain

Hikikomori is a psychopathological and sociological phenomenon in which an individual isolates himself from society for at least 6 months, locking himself in his room, without interest or motivation for work, school or social relationships. Until recently it was thought that there were only cases in Japan, but recent research suggests that there are cases in other countries as well. For example: Spain, Italy, India, the United States or Korea.

This syndrome is distinguished from agoraphobia because Hikikomori patients feel apathy towards society. In contrast, agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of being in situations of which may be difficult or embarrassing to escape or where help may not be available in the event of a stroke panic.

The term was coined by Dr. Tamaki Saito, a psychiatrist who estimated that 1.2 million people in Japan suffer from Hikikomori.

Hikikomori characteristics

The Hikikomori effect includes labstinence from society and avoidance of interaction with others

. The profile of the individual who suffers from Hikikomori is that of young adults of the middle class and predominantly male gender who, apparently due to the pressures of modern life, they escape the privacy and security of their bedrooms, living alone. They rarely leave their room, so they spend time in their world outside of society or within their virtual reality: video game, internet or manga comics (in the Japanese Hikikomori).

Experts claim that lsensitive, shy, introverted people with a lack of social skills and resources to tolerate stress are more prone to to suffer from this syndrome.

Hikikomori has been the source of a great public debate: Does it have a social or psychological origin? Do they have something to do with parents who pamper their children? Why does it happen more frequently in Japan? At first it was thought that it only occurred in this Asian country, but there seem to be more cases outside the Japanese country.

Japan and its relationship with Hikikomori syndrome

To better understand this phenomenon, first of all you have to understand the peculiarities of the Asian giant. Japan offers a multitude of singularities that are hardly found anywhere else in the world. The Japanese country is today one of the most industrialized and advanced societies on the planet. Famous for its technological advances, it is a highly urbanized country. According to a recent UN report, its capital, Tokyo, is the most populous city in the world with 13.5 million inhabitants.

But despite the fact that Japan represents modernity, at the same time traditional patterns of behavior govern and social ethics continue to have deep meaning and roots. Japan mixes an ancient past and a highly technological future. That is to say, it is known for its fashions, trends, but its ancient culture coexists with the capitalist and consumerist model that characterizes it. In this context, it is not uncommon for pathologies such as Hikikomori to arise, since the capitalist system tends towards individualism and traditional values ​​towards the community.

The culture of aesthetics, consumption and leisure has made a dent in many young people because it converts subjects into objects and mere consumers, and these lose the genuine identity that should characterize them. The coexistence of these two value systems can lead to serious emotional problems, because the well-being of people is closely linked to being with oneself, something complicated in the culture of the country nippon,

The psychological disorders associated with technology and the culture of image and consumption are not exclusive to this country, Rather, Western countries also experience different phenomena that are a consequence of this dehumanizing system. Here are some examples of the problems that new technology and image culture and consumption can cause on an emotional level:

• Nomophobia: the growing addiction to mobile phones

• Techno-stress: the new psychopathology of the “digital age”

• FOMO syndrome: feeling that the lives of others are more interesting

Causes of Japanese Hikikomori

The causes of Hikikomori are varied and there is no consensus among researchers. Personal, cultural, environmental (family, school, etc.) or demographic factors may be behind this syndrome. Since the associated factors tend to occur to a greater extent in large cities, it appears to be more prevalent in urban areas.

Personal factors refer to self esteem issues, the lack of social skills or stress management of these people, who given the lack of resources they would isolate themselves to seek the comfort and convenience of their room. Other experts think that they have a lot to do with new technologies, which cause a loss of contact with reality. Family factors would include parental pressure or their work schedules. Socio-economic factors refer to the pressure exerted by the capitalist system and the culture associated with this model, in addition to factors unique to Japanese culture. Demographic factors refer to the low birth rate in this country, which puts even more pressure on young people as they are only children.

The concept of "amae" and its relationship with the Hikikomori

In Japanese society highlights the inability of young people to leave home, different from European or North American society. Although in this country solidarity is emphasized, Japan is a vertical society, since it encourages all kinds of hierarchical structures. For example, the male precedes the female, and the older ones precede the younger ones. This concept of ancestral order supports the Japanese social architecture.

When talking about Hikikomori, many are surprised how a father can let his son lock herself in his room without doing anything to get him out of there. The fact is that Japanese society does not react in the same way to Hikikomori as Western societies. For example, while European psychologists recommend that hospitalization is the best treatment for this syndrome, Japanese psychologists and psychiatrists think the opposite. What's more, Hikikomori has become an acceptable behavior within the society of the Asian country; has been normalized.

As we have already seen, Japanese society is a very vertical and hierarchical society that values ​​the group by above the individual to, in this way, alleviate tensions and conflicts and achieve social harmony of the group. A characteristic concept of this culture is the "amae", which governs many of the personal relationships in Japan.

The love or "permissive dependency" is expect indulgence and acceptance from others. The amae can be seen in the West as well. For example, in the relationship of a son with her parents, no matter how bad the little one behaves, the parents will always forgive him. In Japan, however, this behavior continues throughout life: in personal relationships of friendship, in a partner, between company colleagues and even between boss and employee. The Japanese have a hard time saying "no" because they fear destroying the relationship. It is one of their social norms. While in our culture individual achievement is rewarded, in Japan it is reinforced to achieve goals collectively.

The role of the family in Japan

Japanese families hardly ever get divorced, and family stability is very high compared to western countries. The relationship between the spouses shows a strong tendency to separate roles.

The husband adopts the role of bringing money home, and instead, the wife assumes sole responsibility for the house and the children. When it comes to raising children, parents pay close attention to their academic development. Saving for your education is one of your priorities.

Education and work in Japan

The educational system of Japan reflects the organized and hierarchical political-social structure of which I have spoken, in such a way that all members of society have the duty to contribute to the collective improvement of the country and direct all his dedication to this end throughout his life, from birth to death.

Japan has a very elaborate educational system and is one of the populations with the highest cultural level. But their education system offers little opportunity for self-expression, and the children have little free time, as they have a great academic load. At school, Japanese children learn not to move, not cry, not ask, they must also have a very severe work capacity, thus educating submissive beings to obey their superiors in the future.

In addition, it is common for children to attend academies after school to take extra lessons, since Japanese society is highly competitive. In Japan, society is divided according to education and the place where it has been studied, as well as employment, income and the position that one occupies within a company.

Hikikomori outside of Japan

Researchers have recently wondered if this syndrome is a consequence only of the peculiarities of Japanese culture, of capitalism or if it is a reaction to any culture. Research has confirmed that Hikikomori exists outside of Japan, but with some differences. Oman, Italy, India, the United States, Korea and Spain are some of the countries in which cases have been reported.

Isolated cases from Oman or India could indicate that this type of isolation is a reaction against culture and society. But due to the large number of cases that have been reported in Japan, seems to confirm the idea that Japanese culture and its socio-economic characteristics could favor this reaction of apathy against a society characterized by social isolation. It could be said that it is not an exclusive syndrome of Japan, but that the conditions that occur in that country cause more pathological cases.

In Spain there are also Hikikomori

A study carried out by the Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions of the Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) has reported 164 cases of hikikomori in Spain. The study was published in the Journal of Social Psychiatry, and the researchers have stated that "this syndrome has been underestimated in Spain due to the difficulty of accessing these people and the lack of specialized home care teams."

There are certain differences between the cases of Hikikomori in Spain with respect to those that occurred in Japan. Most Spanish patients suffer from associated mental disorders, What psychotic disorders (34,7%), anxiety (22%) or affective disorders (74.5%), which is known as Secondary hikikomori. The Primary hikikomori It is the one that does not present comorbidity with other psychological disorders. Spanish patients, the majority men, are older than Japanese, with a mean age of 36 years. Likewise, most of those affected live with the family and half have higher education.

Below you can view a video about Hikikomori in Spain: