Department of Psychology, Centre for Applied Autism Research, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2023 Feb 21;18(2):e0281833. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281833. eCollection 2023.
Hikikomori is an extreme state of social withdrawal, originally identified in Japan but more recently recognised internationally. Many countries imposed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have had a detrimental impact on those at risk of hikikomori, specifically young adults and those with high levels of autistic traits.
To explore whether levels of autistic traits mediate the relationship between psychological wellbeing and hikikomori risk. We also looked at whether autistic traits mediated between lockdown experiences (e.g. not leaving the house) and hikikomori risk.
646 young people (aged 16-24) from a wide range of countries completed an online questionnaire assessing psychological wellbeing, autistic traits and experiences of lockdown for this cross-sectional study.
Autistic traits mediated the relationship between both psychological wellbeing and hikikomori risk, as well as frequency of leaving the house during lockdown and hikikomori risk. Greater hikikomori risk was associated with poor psychological wellbeing, higher autistic traits and leaving the house less frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These findings suggest similarities with Japanese hikikomori research and are consistent with suggestions that psychological wellbeing and COVID-19 restrictions are associated with increased hikikomori risk in young adults, and both associations are mediated by higher levels of autistic traits.
蛰居现象是一种极端的社交回避状态，最初在日本被发现，但最近在国际上也得到了认可。许多国家在 COVID-19 大流行期间实施了限制措施，这可能对那些有蛰居风险的人，特别是年轻人和具有高自闭症特征的人，产生了不利影响。
探讨自闭症特征是否在心理幸福感与蛰居风险之间的关系中起中介作用。我们还研究了在封锁期间（例如不出门）的经历与蛰居风险之间是否存在自闭症特征的中介作用。
这项横断面研究共纳入了来自多个国家的 646 名年轻人（年龄在 16-24 岁之间），他们完成了一份在线问卷，评估了心理幸福感、自闭症特征以及在封锁期间的经历。
自闭症特征在心理幸福感与蛰居风险之间，以及在封锁期间离开家的频率与蛰居风险之间都起到了中介作用。较高的蛰居风险与较差的心理幸福感、较高的自闭症特征和在 COVID-19 大流行期间较少离开家有关。
这些发现与日本的蛰居研究相似，并且与心理幸福感和 COVID-19 限制措施与年轻人蛰居风险增加有关的观点一致，这两个关联都由更高水平的自闭症特征介导。
