Association of Hikikomori Syndrome Symptoms and Internet Addiction in Young Adults

Hikikomori syndrome is no more a Japanese phenomenon as it has been rapidly spreading across the globe, especially in South Asian countries. Among those individuals who tend to confine themselves within the walls of their homes, internet addiction has turned out to be a major component further fueling the isolation. Objectives: To explore the association between internet addiction and Hikikomori symptoms and to assess gender differences in Hikikomori symptoms and internet addiction. Method: This cross-sectional research study assessed 318 individuals attending a private university in Lahore. The participants for this study were selected through a non-probability purposive sampling technique and included 23% men and 75% females, and 1.6% selected '3'(rather not say) while two respondents did not provide gender information. Structured measures with well-established psychometric features were used to collect data. Results: Participants who felt socially isolated and lacked emotional support might have stronger internet addiction (p<0.05). Meanwhile, there weren't big differences between men and women in how isolated they feel (p>0.05), but men scored significantly higher than women on the socialization and emotional support domain (p<0.05). Men also tended to be more addicted to the internet than women (p<0.01) in the present study. However, demographic variables when correlated with Hikikomori and internet addiction, showed varying patterns of association. Conclusions: It was concluded that findings provided significant insights into internet addiction and socialization, isolation and emotional support dimensions of hikikomori syndrome in young adults in Lahore.