Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020 Feb;66(1):84-92. doi: 10.1177/0020764019882724. Epub 2019 Oct 24.
Pathological social withdrawal (PSW) has become a public health concern, especially in Asia. However, few studies have investigated the presence of PSW and its characteristics in Taiwan. In this study, we aimed to discover whether individuals in Taiwan display PSW behaviours, the demographic characteristics and psychiatric history of those meeting criteria for PSW and the associated psychological risks.
An online self-report survey collected participants' demographic characteristics, social behaviours and their psychiatric history, along with information on adherence to cultural norms and mental health.
Among 1,046 valid respondents, 9% reported behaviours consistent with PSW for at least 6 months, commensurate with other online surveys in Asian countries. Around 20% of these also reported current or past psychiatric disorders, although this was lower than previous findings (50%-80%). Participants with PSW reported poorer mental health and lower confidence in social/academic/work skills than unaffected participants.
This study identified for the first time the presence of PSW in Taiwan. Except the lower rates of psychiatric comorbidity (which could be explained by sociocultural factors and sampling methods), data were consistent with previous findings. We also extended our understanding of possible psychological risk factors associated with this pathological condition.
病理性社交退缩（PSW）已成为公共卫生关注的问题，尤其是在亚洲。然而，很少有研究调查过 PSW 在台湾的存在及其特征。本研究旨在探讨台湾人是否存在 PSW 行为，符合 PSW 标准的个体的人口统计学特征和精神病史，以及相关的心理风险。
一项在线自我报告调查收集了参与者的人口统计学特征、社交行为和他们的精神病史，以及对文化规范的遵守情况和心理健康信息。
在 1046 名有效应答者中，有 9%的人报告了至少 6 个月符合 PSW 的行为，与亚洲其他国家的在线调查结果相当。这些人中约有 20%报告了目前或过去的精神障碍，尽管这低于之前的发现（50%-80%）。有 PSW 的参与者报告的心理健康状况较差，对社交/学术/工作技能的信心较低。
本研究首次在台湾发现了 PSW 的存在。除了精神共病率较低（这可以用社会文化因素和抽样方法来解释）之外，数据与之前的发现一致。我们还扩展了对与这种病理性状况相关的可能心理风险因素的理解。
