Development of a questionnaire for evaluating supporters’ skills in Hikikomori support

Abstract Enhancing the skills of hikikomori supporters inherently contributes to improving the quality of support provided. However, a comprehensive skills assessment tool for these supporters has not yet been developed. This study aimed to develop a self-rated questionnaire, the Hikikomori Supporter’s Skills Checklist (HSSC). Based on a preliminary survey involving 43 supporters, the HSSC draft was revised. The revised version comprises 39 items addressing various aspects of consultation support. In the main survey, questionnaires were posted to 118 hikikomori community support centers. To assess convergent and discriminant validity and derive clinical insights, respondents completed the HSSC along with measures of stigmatic attitudes toward hikikomori and psychiatric patients, workplace psychological flexibility, burnout, and demographics, including prior experience in hikikomori-related learning and support. Analysis of 238 valid responses revealed a single-factor structure; however, 12 items were removed due to lower item factor loadings. The refined 27-item HSSC demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.74). HSSC scores showed a significant correlation with the number of training sessions undertaken (ρ = 0.24), along with other theoretically consistent but statistically non-significant correlations, supporting the checklist’s validity. Furthermore, in the comparison involving specific questions with relatively low correct response rate, a linear increase in the total HSSC score was observed across the low-, middle-, and high correct response rate groups. However, score distribution deviated from normality due to limited data from lower-scoring participants, restricting parametric analysis. Although further validation is necessary, the HSSC appears valuable for promoting self-reflection among hikikomori supporters and evaluating training outcomes.