Page 70 - JCBP-3-4

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Intervention through natural/digital art

communication among people declines, the functions they may feel hesitant to ask for help, which can become
they have developed through diverse social experiences a secondary factor contributing to social withdrawal. In
also diminish, eventually leading to reduced neuronal Japan’s aging society, these issues — particularly mobility
network activation and a decreased motivation to problems and cognitive decline — present unique
perform these functions. In more severe cases, this challenges that lead to increased isolation. These challenges
condition manifests as social withdrawal. According were addressed for discussion and improvement with social
to the “Guidelines for the Evaluation and Support of work caregivers, services, and the basic structure of the
People Who Withdraw from Society” (May 2010), issued industry. However, the current situation highlights a lack
by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the of effective interventions and social systems, not only for
strict definition of withdrawal, known as “hikikomori” seniors but also for their supporters in nursing homes. In
in Japanese, refers to a phenomenon where a person such cases, individuals may become housebound due to a
3
avoids participating in society — such as going to variety of underlying conditions, and the resulting negative
school, working, or socializing outside the home — due interactions can further entrench the state of withdrawal.
to various factors. In principle, the person stays at home With the aim of stimulating the desire of senior citizens
or similar locations for more than 6 months, although it and those around them to go outside, we investigated the
is acceptable to go out without interacting with others. effectiveness of program-controlled light-emitting diode
A survey by the Japanese Cabinet Office on the (LED) lighting art installed in the courtyard of a nursing
actual situation of socially withdrawn found that 1.57% facility for the elderly. This technology was used to arouse
of the younger generation (ages 15 – 39) were socially interest in the outside world and encourage outdoor
withdrawn in 2015, while the rate for the middle- activity. Illuminations are produced by using LED lights
aged and older generation (ages 40 – 64) was about and other lighting equipment to illuminate or flash objects,
the same at 1.45% in 2018, (https://www.mhlw.go.jp/ structures, and trees in specific locations, and numerous
4,5
content/11601000/000779362.pdf). illumination events are held in Japan during the winter.
In collaboration with the Izumi Welfare Society, we held
In a large-scale survey conducted by a neighborhood an illumination event at the Izumi En low-cost nursing
association in a ward of Tokyo, the rate of social home and investigated any changes in the behavior of the
withdrawals among individuals in their 20s to 40s was facility’s residents. A “low-cost nursing home” is a public
nearly identical to that of people aged 50 and over facility for individuals aged 60 and over who have difficulty
(https://www.city.edogawa.tokyo.jp/documents/33977/ living at home due to family circumstances or housing
r3_saisyuhikikomoricyousakekkahoukokusyo.pdf). These problems. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and
findings suggest that the same issue also affects the senior Welfare’s 2022 Survey of Social Welfare Facilities, there
generation, in contrast to the past focus on those aged 40 are three types of public nursing homes (https://www.
and under. mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/23–22.html): type A (with meals),
In addition, the increased risk of depression in old age is type B (self-catering), and type C (care house, with meals
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thought to be related to a decline in social adaptability and and living support services). In addition, “urban low-cost
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a lack of societal tolerance, resulting from the increasing senior homes” were established in 2010 to address high
complexity and diversification of society. 5 land prices in urban areas, leading to four types of low-
cost senior homes. On the other hand, special nursing
Ideally, a society that encourages older individuals to homes are public facilities designed to provide a “final
continue learning and growing throughout their lives home” and 24-h nursing care services, with residents being
should be ideal, and this type of motivation is highly individuals certified as requiring long-term care levels
8,9
effective in preventing dementia and other forms of 3 – 5. The Izumi Welfare Association operates Izumi-en,
dysfunction. 10 a type a low-cost nursing home with a capacity of 50
In the case of elderly individuals living in nursing homes, residents, and Daini Izumi En, a special nursing home
the definition includes those who are unable to go out on with a maximum capacity of 109 residents in a separate
their own even if they want to, and who live without going building. At Izumi-en, staff previously held a hand-made
out unless accompanied by a guardian due to cognitive illumination event every year, which involved purchasing
decline, making it difficult to maintain their health and commercially made illumination materials and decorating
social safety. This differs from the type of “hikikomori” them. However, this event did not significantly impact the
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who refuse to leave their homes, avoiding participation in residents’ mood or contribute to a more cheerful and active
social activities such as work or school. However, when life. It only increased the staff’s burden, prompting them to
individuals are unable to leave their rooms independently, seek a new way to hold the illumination event in the future.

Volume 3 Issue 4 (2025) 64 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.5740