Home visits are one of the intervention and assistance methods anticipated to be useful in cases of social withdrawal. This study aims at investigating the current status of home visits that are carried out in the regional mental health and child welfare sectors, targeting socially withdrawn adolescents, and at examining the efficacy of this method. We conducted a survey using questionnaires targeting 59 institutions, such as public health centers, health and welfare offices, and child guidance centers, and found that home visits were carried out by public health nurses and child welfare personnel in about 20% of the adolescent social withdrawal cases. Answers to the question sheets were obtained for 54 cases, and investigation revealed that some form of improvement was seen as a result of these visits in 22 cases, or 40.7%. Typical answers included : “the visit encouraged the adolescent to go to a medical institution and/or a consultation agency for examination or consultation,” and the“incidence of domestic violence by the adolescent declined.”The survey also revealed that 19 of the social withdrawal cases, or 35.2%, inflicted acts of violence on family members ; however, 8 cases, or 42.1% showed the improvement of violence through home visits.
Home Visits for Social Withdrawal Cases in Community Mental Health and Child Welfare Services
Yamanashi Prefectural Mental Health Welfare Center
Yamanashi Prefectural Central Child Guidance Center
Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokushima
Faculty of Education and Culture, University of Miyazaki
Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry
Yamanashi Prefectural Central Child Guidance Center
Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokushima
Faculty of Education and Culture, University of Miyazaki
Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
110: 536-545, 2008
Accepted in revised form: 5 July 2008.
Accepted in revised form: 5 July 2008.
<Keywords:social withdrawal, adolescence, home visits, domestic violence>