This systematic scoping review explores social withdrawal among adolescents and emerging adults, focusing on its theorisation, methodologies, forms, different groups and associated factors. Social withdrawal, characterised by voluntary isolation, has significant social and psychological impacts, including depression and peer problems. The review includes studies published over a period of 15 years (2009 to 2024), targeting individuals aged 12–29. Using systematic search methods, 125 primarily quantitative studies were identified, highlighting the influence of parents, peers, mental health, and cultural factors. The review underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach to fully understand social withdrawal and recommends future research to focus on longitudinal studies to explore causal relationships and develop effective interventions
Wang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.