Sakai Motohiro, Yoshinaga Naoki, Thew Graham R, Clark David M
Faculty of Education, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.
School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.
Front Psychiatry. 2024 May 27;15:1368722. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1368722. eCollection 2024.
Hikikomori (prolonged social withdrawal) has been discussed as a hidden worldwide epidemic and a significant social and healthcare issue. Social anxiety disorder is the most common psychiatric disorder preceding the onset of Hikikomori. Although studies exist suggesting the effectiveness of family-support interventions, little is known about psychotherapeutic approaches for Hikikomori individuals. Here, we present a case of Hikikomori wherein an internet-delivered cognitive therapy for social anxiety disorder (iCT-SAD) worked effectively in improving the client's social anxiety symptoms and social interaction behaviors. This case study demonstrates the principle that evidence-based psychological interventions focusing on social anxiety can be effective for clients with Hikikomori. Furthermore, the online mode of treatment delivery, along with a variety of relevant modules, may facilitate clients' engagement with treatment at home. The findings suggest that iCT-SAD might be a promising option for Hikikomori clients who have social anxiety problems, within the recommended stepped-intervention approach.
蛰居族（长期社会退缩）已被视为一种隐匿的全球性流行病以及一个重大的社会和医疗问题。社交焦虑障碍是蛰居族发病前最常见的精神障碍。尽管有研究表明家庭支持干预有效，但对于蛰居族个体的心理治疗方法却知之甚少。在此，我们呈现一例蛰居族案例，其中针对社交焦虑障碍的互联网认知疗法（iCT-SAD）有效改善了来访者的社交焦虑症状和社交互动行为。本案例研究证明了这样一个原则，即针对社交焦虑的循证心理干预对蛰居族来访者可能有效。此外，在线治疗模式以及各种相关模块可能会促进来访者在家接受治疗。研究结果表明，在推荐的逐步干预方法中，iCT-SAD对于有社交焦虑问题的蛰居族来访者可能是一个有前景的选择。
