School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel.
Outreach Israel - In-Home Psychotherapy and Rehabilitation Services, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2022 Mar;68(2):301-308. doi: 10.1177/0020764020984192. Epub 2020 Dec 25.
Over the past few decades, prolonged social withdrawal (PSW) among young people has been recognized in several countries. Most research has been quantitative and focused on the characteristics of PSW individuals and their families. Little attention has been given to the valuable perspective of professionals providing service to this population. The purpose of the present study is to identify the characteristics of PSW in Israel, where this phenomenon has not been researched yet. For this initial investigation, the study will utilize a combination of quantitative self-report data from parents of PSW individuals, as well as qualitative data gathered from interviews with mental health professionals who work with this population.
Quantitative data were derived from records of referrals by parents of 121 PSW individuals, and later categorized into apparent characteristics of PSW. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 19 professionals experienced in treating PSW, and later analyzed in a thematic analysis process.
Findings from the quantitative data revealed a majority of males (70%) with an average age of 24.2, with previously diagnosed psychiatric conditions (64%). Findings from the qualitative data exposed frequently reported characteristics of PSW individuals and their families, out of which five themes emerged: Family Dynamics, Psychological Characteristics, Typical Behaviors, Past Difficulties, and Present Challenges.
This study is the first to identify and report characteristics of PSW in Israel, which are consistent with previous research reported in other countries. The study is highlighting familial characteristics as well as individual ones, while also considering the broader socio-cultural context. These findings draw attention to the importance of notifying the general public, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers in Israel and beyond to the concerning problem of PSW, while contributing to the efforts to develop a map of this barely explored territory.
在过去的几十年中，一些国家已经认识到年轻人中存在的长时间社交退缩（PSW）现象。大多数研究都是定量的，重点关注 PSW 个体及其家庭的特征。很少有人关注为这一人群提供服务的专业人员的宝贵视角。本研究的目的是确定 PSW 在以色列的特征，因为在以色列还没有对这一现象进行研究。为了进行这项初步调查，本研究将结合 PSW 个体父母的定量自我报告数据，以及与从事这一人群工作的心理健康专业人员进行的访谈中收集的定性数据进行研究。
定量数据来源于 121 名 PSW 个体父母的转介记录，后来分为 PSW 的明显特征。定性数据通过对 19 名有经验的 PSW 治疗专业人员进行半结构化访谈收集，后来在主题分析过程中进行了分析。
定量数据分析结果显示，大多数患者为男性（70%），平均年龄为 24.2 岁，此前被诊断出患有精神疾病（64%）。定性数据分析结果揭示了 PSW 个体及其家庭的一些常见特征，其中五个主题浮现出来：家庭动态、心理特征、典型行为、过去的困难和现在的挑战。
本研究首次在以色列确定并报告了 PSW 的特征，这些特征与其他国家报告的先前研究一致。该研究强调了家庭特征和个体特征，同时也考虑了更广泛的社会文化背景。这些发现引起了人们对通知以色列和其他国家的公众、临床医生、研究人员和政策制定者注意 PSW 这一令人关注的问题的重要性，同时也为努力绘制这一几乎未被探索的领域的地图做出了贡献。
