Hikikomori in Spain: social isolation syndrome not only affects Japan

Young people permanently locked in their rooms: a phenomenon that reaches the West.

Hikikomori is a psychopathological and sociological phenomenon in which an individual isolates himself from society for at least 6 months. an individual isolates himself from society for at least 6 months, locking himself in his room, with no interest or motivation for work.The individual is isolated for at least 6 months, with no interest or motivation for work, school or social relations. Until recently it was thought that there were only cases in Japan, but recent research suggests that there are also cases in other countries. For example: Spain, Italy, India, the United States and Korea.

This syndrome is distinguished from agoraphobia by the fact that patients with Hikikomori feel apathy towards society.. Agoraphobia, on the other hand, is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of being in situations from which it may be difficult or embarrassing to escape or where help may not be available in the event of a panic attack.

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

Characteristics of Hikikomori

The effect of Hikikomori includes labstinence from society and avoidance of interaction with others.. The profile of the individual suffering from Hikikikomori is middle-class young adults, mostly male, who, apparently due to the pressures of modern life, escape the privacy and security of their dormitories, living alone. They rarely leave their room, so they spend their time in their world outside society or in their virtual reality: video games, internet or manga comics (in Japanese Hikikomori).

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

Hikikomori has been the source of much public debate: Does it have a social or psychological origin, does it have something to do with parents spoiling their children, and why does it occur more frequently in Japan? At first it was thought to occur only in this Asian country, but there seem to be more cases outside Japan.

Japan and its relationship with Hikikomori syndrome

To better understand this phenomenon, we must first of all understand the peculiarities of the Asian giant. Japan offers a multitude of singularities that can hardly be found anywhere else in the world. Japan 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 world's most populous city with 13.5 million inhabitants.

But while Japan represents modernity, at the same time, traditional patterns of behavior and traditional patterns of behavior and social ethics remain deeply rooted and meaningful.. Japan blends an ancient past with a highly technological future. In other words, it is known for its fashions and trends, but its millenary culture coexists with the capitalist and consumerist model that characterizes it. In this context, it is not uncommon for pathologies such as Hikikomori to emerge, since the capitalist system tends towards individualism and traditional values towards collectivity.

The culture of aesthetics, consumption and leisure has taken its toll on many young people because it turns subjects into objects and mere consumers, and they lose the genuine identity that should characterize them. The coexistence of these two value systems can lead to serious problems on an emotional level, because people's well-being is closely linked to being with oneself, something complicated in Japanese culture,

Psychological disorders associated with technology and the culture of image and consumption are not exclusive to Japan; Western countries also experience various phenomena that are a consequence of this dehumanizing system. Here are some examples of the problems that new technology and the culture of image and consumption can cause on an emotional level:

• Nomophobia: the growing addiction to the cell phone.

• Technostress: the new psychopathology of the "digital age".

• FOMO Syndrome: feeling that other people's lives 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 be more prevalent in large cities, there seems to be more prevalence in urban areas.

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

The concept of "amae" and its relationship to Hikikomori

In Japanese society Japanese society is characterized by the inability of young people to leave home, unlike European or North American society.This is different from European or North American society. Despite the emphasis on solidarity, Japan is a vertical society, as it encourages all kinds of hierarchical structures. For example, men precede women, and older people precede younger people. This concept of ancestral order underpins Japanese social architecture.

When talking about Hikikomori, many are surprised at how a parent could let their child lock themselves in their room without doing anything to get them out. The fact is that Japanese society does not react in the same way to Hikikomori as Western societies do. To give an example, while European psychologists recommend that hospitalization is the best treatment for this syndrome, Japanese psychologists and psychiatrists think the opposite. In addition, Hikikomori has been Hikikomori has become an acceptable behavior in Japanese society; it has become normalized.It has become normalized.

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

The amae or "permissive dependence" is to expect expecting indulgence and acceptance from others. Amae can be seen in the West as well. For example, in a child's relationship with his or her parents, no matter how badly the child behaves, the parents will always forgive him or her. In Japan, however, this behavior continues throughout life: in personal relationships of friendship, in a couple, between business partners and even between boss and employee. The Japanese have a hard time saying "no" because they are afraid of destroying the relationship. It is one of their social norms. While in our culture individual achievement is rewarded, in Japan, collective achievement is reinforced.

The role of the family in Japan

Japanese families hardly divorce, and family stability is very family stability is very high compared to Western countries.. The relationship between spouses shows a strong tendency toward separation of roles.

The husband takes on the role of bringing money home, while the wife assumes sole responsibility for the house and children. In terms of child rearing, parents pay a lot of attention to their children's academic development. Saving for their education is one of their priorities.

Education and work in Japan

Japan's education system reflects the organized and hierarchical social-political structure I have discussed, such that all members of society have a duty to contribute to the collective betterment of the country. and direct all their dedication to this end throughout their lives, from birth to death.

Japan has a very elaborate educational system and is one of the most culturally advanced countries in the world. But its education system offers little opportunity for self-expression, and children have little free timeand children have little free time, as they have a heavy academic load. At school, Japanese children learn not to move, not to cry, not to ask questions, they must also have a very severe work capacity, so they educate submissive beings to obey their superiors in the future.

In addition, it is common for children to go to academies after school to take extra lessons, as Japanese society is highly competitive. Japanese society is highly competitive.. In Japan, society is divided according to education and place of study, as well as employment, income and position within a company.

Hikikomori outside Japan

For some time now, researchers have been wondering whether this syndrome is a consequence only of the peculiarities of Japanese culture, of capitalism, or whether it is a reaction to any culture. Research has confirmed that Hikikomori exists outside Japan, but with some differences. Oman, Italy, India, the United States, Korea and Spain are some of the countries where cases have been reported.

The isolated cases in Oman or India could indicate that this type of isolation is a reaction against the culture and society. But due to the large number of cases reported in Japan, it seems to confirm the idea that the culture of the country is a reaction against the culture and society, seems to confirm the idea that Japanese culture and socio-economic characteristics may favor this reaction of apathy against society. of apathy against society characterized by social isolation. It could be said that it is not a syndrome exclusive to Japan, but that the conditions 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, Spain) has reported 164 cases of hikikomori in Spain. has reported 164 cases of hikikomori in Spain.. The study was published in the Journal of Social Psychiatryand the researchers have stated that "this syndrome has been underestimated in Spain due to the difficulty in 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 occurring in Japan. The majority of Spanish patients suffer from associated mental disordersdisorders, such as psychotic disorders (34.7%), anxiety (22%) or affective disorders (74.5%), which is known as Secondary Hikikomori. The Primary Hikikomori is the one that does not present comorbidity with other psychological disorders. The Spanish patients, most of whom are men, are older than the Japanese, with an average age of 36 years. Also, most of those affected live with the family and half of them have higher education.

Below you can see a video about Hikikomori in Spain: