Influence of functional changes in cognitive behavioral approach on the improvement process of Hikikomori

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14199
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Future University
• Principal Investigator: Nonaka Shunsuke 東京未来大学, こども心理学部, 講師 (90821736)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ひきこもり / 認知行動療法 / 機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify the “Hikikomori function,” or the role (meaning) of “Hikikomori” for the individual, and the changes in this function. We asked those who had experienced Hikikomori to participate in the study and developed a tool to assess Hikikomori function, using the responses of 70 participants in Study 1 and 417 participants in Study 2 (in addition, 7 participants in preliminary research using semi-structured interviews) as the analysis sample. Study 3, a one-year prospective study, indicated that the Hikikomori function type could predict subjective functional impairment one year later.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来，ひきこもりのアセスメントにおいては，なぜその人がひきこもり続けているのか（ひきこもらざるを得ないのか）という「ひきこもり機能」の体系的なアセスメントにほとんど焦点が当てられていなかった。本研究の結果，ひきこもり機能タイプが将来の生きづらさと関連することが示された。この結果は，ひきこもり状態にある人のうち，どのような場合に精神的健康が悪化しやすく，どのような場合に悪化しづらいのかという個人差を理解するために役立つ可能性がある。