Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41420695›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2025

Autism and Hikikomori Risk: A Link Beyond Other Psychopathologies, and Their Relationship to Loneliness and Solitude.

Peter Muris, Franc Donkers, Anne Deckers, Frederique Aarts, Romy Arpots, Wouter Dewulf, Ilse Janssen

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Association Between Loneliness and Hikikomori Symptoms. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Peter MurisMaastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. peter.muris@maastrichtuniversity.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5447-8200
Franc DonkersMaastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Anne DeckersZuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
Frederique AartsMaastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Romy ArpotsMaastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Wouter DewulfMaastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Ilse JanssenMaastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study aimed to further investigate the relationship between autism and hikikomori, an extreme form of social withdrawal.

methodsA sample of 323 adolescents and adults aged 12–59 years, with (n = 64) and without ASD (n = 259), completed self-report measures assessing hikikomori symptoms, related psychopathology, loneliness, and attitudes toward solitude. A subsample (n = 177: 40 with and 137 without ASD) also completed a validated scale for measuring autistic traits.

resultsFindings revealed that individuals with ASD displayed significantly higher levels of extreme social withdrawal and were nearly 10 times more likely to exceed the clinical threshold for hikikomori than non-clinical individuals. Autistic traits were significantly and positively correlated with hikikomori symptoms, even after controlling for comorbid psychopathology. Additionally, both ASD and hikikomori were associated with increased loneliness and a stronger preference for solitude.

conclusionThese results highlight autism’s contribution to extreme social withdrawal and emphasize the complex interplay between neurodevelopmental vulnerability, isolation, and social affiliation needs.

Indexed as

Autism spectrum disorderHikikomoriLonelinessPsychopathological riskSolitude

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.