SynthesisBMC psychology2021
Understanding the experiences of hikikomori through the lens of the CHIME framework: connectedness, hope and optimism, identity, meaning in life, and empowerment; systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC psychology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- A structured support process for social reintegration of a patient with long-term hikikomori: A case report.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Article
- Hikikomori tendencies and belongingness in Turkish university students: the roles of online social comfort, interpersonal sensitivity, and hopelessness.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Relational energy and coping flexibility among Chinese university students: the mediating role of optimism and the moderating influence of cognitive reappraisal.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Home-Based Occupational Therapy for Emotion-Related School Attendance Challenges: Two Case Studies.Cureus · 2025Article
- Undocumented Migrants' Experiences of a Recovery-Oriented Group Intervention and Its Impact on Their Mental Well-Being: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Needs and Preferences of Swedish Young Adults for a Digital App Promoting Mental Health Literacy, Occupational Balance, and Peer Support: Qualitative Interview Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study on Mental Health Recovery from a Lived Experience Perspective in Singapore.Community mental health journal · 2024Article
- Contemporary Hermits: A Developmental Psychopathology Account of Extreme Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Young People.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2023Article
- Hikikomori: A Scientometric Review of 20 Years of Research.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Review
- Exploring the Lived Experience on Recovery from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among Women Survivors and Five CHIME Concepts: A Qualitative Study.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Understanding Protective Factors for Men at Risk of Suicide Using the CHIME Framework: The Primacy of Relational Connectedness.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Therapeutic comparison in psychological capital.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHikikomori is a phenomenon describing people who exhibit behaviors of self-secluding themselves at home for long durations of time and usually only having face-to-face social interactions with none other than family. Existing interventions for hikikomori are inconclusive and the majority are absent in using a theoretical framework to guide its components. Therefore, applicability of the psychosocial recovery framework of Connectedness, Hope and Optimism, Identity, Meaning in Life, and Empowerment (CHIME) towards hikikomori care was reviewed.
methodFive databases were searched in April 2020 with the search formula from a published systematic review on hikikomori combined with search terms specific to domains of the CHIME framework. Articles included in the review were of the English language, of all publication years, peer-reviewed, quantitative or qualitative research studies and case studies, included study designs that were observational or interventional in nature, and involved populations of socially withdrawn youth.
resultsCHIME's comprehensive structure and organized approach could guide researchers or service providers in determining areas needing assessments, measurement, and areas of focus. It is suggested that the CHIME framework is applicable after modifying a specific dimension-'meaning of mental illness experiences' into 'meaning of the hikikomori experience'. Thematic overlap occurred between the domains of connectedness, identity, and meaning. Yet, additional dimensions or domains such as trust building, non-linearity, and spatiality can be included for addressing specific limitations in this application, which would help towards catering services to help hikikomori in recovery or in increasing quality-of-life of those individuals' while entrapped in this withdrawn lifestyle.
conclusionCHIME framework could be applicable towards hikikomori care after applying the suggested modifications. Additionally, many knowledge gaps were found in literature during this review that warrants further investigation to improve hikikomori care.
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