Síntomas relacionados al trauma en individuos con diagnóstico de Hikikomori: una revisión de alcance

Hikikomori is a condition characterized by severe and prolonged social withdrawal, defined by physical isolation at home for at least six months combined with school or occupational refusal, and has been increasingly recognized beyond its original Japanese context as a global mental health phenomenon affecting adolescents and young adults. Despite growing clinical interest, the relationship between Hikikomori and trauma-related psychopathology remains poorly systematized in the literature, with existing studies heterogeneous in design, population, and measurement instruments. This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the available evidence on trauma-related symptoms — including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociation, and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — among individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of Hikikomori aged 15 to 65 years, across any clinical, community, or online setting worldwide. The review is guided by the PCC framework (Population, Concept, Context) and follows the methodological standards established by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for scoping reviews, as well as the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines and the PRESS 2015 Guidelines for search strategy validation. The search will be conducted across five major electronic databases — PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, and Web of Science — supplemented by grey literature sources and reference list screening. Eligible study designs include observational studies (cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control), qualitative studies with thematic analysis, and mixed-methods designs, with trauma-related outcomes operationalized through validated instruments such as the PCL-5, IES-R, CAPS-5, DES-II, or any equivalent ACEs scale. The selection process will be conducted in two independent blind phases by two reviewers using Rayyan, with inter-rater agreement quantified via Cohen's Kappa coefficient and discrepancies resolved by a third arbitrating reviewer. Data extraction will be performed using a standardized Google Sheets form capturing information across four domains: general bibliographic data, methodological characteristics, population features, and exposure and outcome variables, including reported measures of association (OR, RR, Pearson's r, and mean differences with 95% confidence intervals and p-values). ​ The expected outcomes of this review include a comprehensive map of the current evidence base linking Hikikomori to trauma-related psychopathology, identification of the most frequently used diagnostic and outcome measurement instruments in this population, characterization of the types of traumatic experiences most commonly reported, and detection of critical gaps in the literature that warrant future primary research or systematic reviews with meta-analysis. These results are intended to inform clinical practice in mental health settings, support the development of targeted screening protocols for trauma in individuals presenting with severe social withdrawal, and provide a rigorous methodological foundation for subsequent research in this emerging field.