Diamond Online, a Japanese business website, published articles about
adult selective mutism with Hikikomori. Diamond Online publishes
business articles as well as health ones.
First article [May 18, 2012]
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Second article [June 28, 2012]
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Third article [July 26, 2012]
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Hikikomori is a Japanese term that means long term social withdrawal typically by adolescent and adult males.
Usually the concept of Hikikomori excludes symptoms of schizophrenia.
Today hundreds and thousands of Japanese people are considered to
withdraw from society.
All articles above are
interviews with members of Association of Selective Mutism in Japan who
experienced selective mutism. ASMJ is one of the major selective mutism
support group in Japan, which, in my view, emphasizes adult selective
mutism.
We can find many Japanese Hikikomori people who
really suffer(ed) or seem(ed) to suffer from selective mutism in
academic literature, books, on Internet websites, etc. But it is not
clear how many people suffer from such difficulties.
According
to a study by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, out of 149
Hikikomori cases which visited 5 Mental Health and Welfare Centers and
received diagnoses of mental ilnesses, one case was diagnosed as
selective mutism. But it is not clear whether about 0.67(1/149) percent
of Hikikomori people have selective mutism because most Hikikomori
people do not visit Mental Health and Welfare Center.
Little
is known for certain about Hikikomori people with selective mutism.
Most writings are their personal experiences or case study. Diamond
Online's article is no exception.
