Assessing adaptive behaviors of individuals with hikikomori (prolonged social withdrawal): development and psychometric evaluation of the parent-report scale

ABSTRACT

It is important to appropriately assess the adaptive behaviors of individuals with hikikomori (IWH) using parent reports. However, currently, there is no gold standard in the assessment of adaptive behaviors of IWH. This study aimed to: (1) develop the Adaptive Behaviors Scale for Hikikomori (ABS-H); (2) examine the factor structure of the ABS-H; and (3) examine the reliability and validity of ABS-H. A factor analysis and item response theory (IRT) analysis were conducted using data from 761 parents. Reliability and validity of ABS-H were assessed using measures of severity of hikikomori, difficulty in social participation, extent of places where IWH were active, days on which IWH went out, duration of hikikomori and happiness about relationship with one’s child. A total of 26 items were selected and item-trait was examined from the IRT results. Factor analysis identified four group factors. Cronbach’s alpha was found to be .97. Criterion-referenced, convergent and discriminant validity of the instrument were satisfactory. This study suggests that the ABS-H is a reliable measure with acceptable criterion-referenced, convergent and discriminant validity. Further research is needed to clarify the extent to which the ABS-H is sensitive in capturing the changes in the features of hikikomori.

KEYWORDS:

• hikikomori
• prolonged social withdrawal
• parent
• adaptive behaviors
• assessment

Acknowledgements

We thank the members of Kazoku Hikikomori Japan (KHJ) National federation of families with individuals having hikikomori in Japan. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contibutors

Shunsuke Nonaka was educated at Waseda University and Tokushima University. He has been a graduate student in Waseda University from 2015 and a research fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from 2016.

Hironori Shimada was educated at Waseda University. He was an assistant in Hiroshima University, an associate professor in Nigata University and an associate professor in Waseda University. He has been a professor Waseda University since 2008.

Motohiro Sakai was educated at Miyazaki University and Waseda University. He was an Assistant Professor in Shigakukan University. He has been an associate professor in Tokushima University since 2007.

ORCID

Shunsuke Nonaka http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9040-4436

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI [grant number JP16J10405] and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan. The funding source had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication.