[Mental health and utilization of mental health services among victims of crime in Japan]

Abstract

Since the Crime Victims Act became enforced in 2005, the mental health recovery of crime victims has become an important issue among national government and local authorities. A high prevalence of psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD, among crime victims has been reported in domestic and foreign studies. However, little is known about the percentage of victims of crime who actually attend mental health services. The prevalence of mental health service usage varied from one study to another and is thought to be higher among victims of severe crimes, such as sexual assault. Several factors associated with seeking mental health care, including the presence of psychopathology, appear to be common among the studies. To offer suitable mental health services for crime victims, various organizations or agencies must cooperate with each other, including the police and prosecution, private victim support groups, and medical departments like emergency medical care centers and gynecology clinics. This report summarizes mental health problems and the use of mental health services among crime victims, and discusses how crime victims who require medical treatment may actually receive adequate mental health care.