DOI: 10.3886/icpsr06581.v1
title: Cost of Mental Health Care for Victims of Crime in the United States, 1991
title: Version 1

description: The main objective of this survey was to determine the
 number of crime victims receiving mental health counseling, by type of
 crime, and the annual cost of treatment for each type of crime
 victim. Multiplying these two figures would yield an estimate of the
 annual financial cost of mental health care for crime victims. For
 this survey, mental health professionals were sampled from eight
 professional organizations and were asked questions about their
 clients during 1991. Respondents were instructed to count only those
 clients whose primary reason for being treated was because they were
 previously crime victims, regardless of whether the criminal
 victimization was the presenting issue at the time the client was
 first treated. Interviews were structured to first elicit information
 about the number of victims served for each type of crime. Respondents
 were then asked for details about the type and length of treatment for
 the crime type most frequently encountered by the respondent. Similar
 information was obtained for each additional crime type mentioned by
 the respondent, in descending order of frequency. Variables include
the number of adults, youths, and children served
description: Mental health care usage by crime victims is one
 of the least known aspects of the costs associated with victimization.
 Although much has been written in the clinical literature on the
 effects of criminal victimization on the mental health of victims,
 little empirical analysis has been conducted to assess the magnitude
 of this problem. Although victims could be surveyed directly, victims
 are often reluctant to answer questions of this nature and are not
 well informed about issues such as length of treatment and the
 underlying cause of mental illness. Therefore, this project was
 targeted at mental health professionals instead of directly surveying
 victims. The main focus of the survey was to determine the number of
 crime victims receiving mental health counseling, by type of crime,
 and the annual cost of treatment for each type of crime
 victim. Multiplying these two figures would yield an estimate of the
annual financial cost of mental health care for crime victims.
description: Telephone interviews were conducted by two
 graduate students, both of whom had psychology and counseling
 backgrounds. Respondents were given a brief overview of the survey
 and asked if their practice in 1991 included the treatment of crime
 victims. If the respondent did treat crime victims, the interviewee
 was given the option of responding immediately or setting up a
 convenient time for a future telephone interview. Respondents were
 instructed that they were only to count clients whose primary reason
 for being treated was because they were previously crime victims,
 regardless of whether the criminal victimization was the presenting
 issue at the time the client was first treated. Interviews lasted
 between 15 and 40 minutes, with most requiring at least 20
 minutes. Interviews were structured to first elicit information about
 the number of victims served for each type of crime. Respondents were
 then asked details about the type and length of treatment for the
 crime type most frequently encountered by the respondent. Similar
 information was obtained for each additional crime type mentioned by
 the respondent in descending order of frequency. For 19 respondents,
 time ran out for the interview and questions were skipped that
 pertained to those crime victims least encountered by that
 respondent. In these instances, an estimate was made for the skipped
 information based on a combination of the response by that respondent
 to the other questions and responses given by other respondents in the
same cohort to that particular question.
description: Variables include the number of clients served who
 were adults (aged 18 and over), youths (aged 13-17), and children (age
12 and under)
description: Response Rates: Direct telephone contact was made with 189 out
 of the 339 potential respondents (55.7 percent). Of the 189
 respondents, 20 refused to participate in the survey, and one
 respondent was later removed from the data because the answers were
 inconsistent and often unrealistic. Usable data were therefore
 obtained from 168 mental health professionals, resulting in 49.8
 percent of the original sample and 88.9 percent of the respondents who
were actually contacted.
description: Presence of Common Scales: None.
description: The survey respondents consisted of a nationally
 representative sample of 339 mental health professionals, stratified
 into eight different professional organizations whose members provide
 clinical mental health care services: the American Psychiatric
 Association (APA), the American Psychological Association (APsychA),
 and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Also included
 were the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT),
 the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), the
 American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), the American
 Family Therapy Association (AFTA), and the American Society of Group
 Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP). In some cases, a random sample
 was drawn directly from directories of the organization. In other
 cases, the organization agreed to provide a random sample of members,
names and telephone numbers.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Data File
description: Mental health professionals in the United States providing
counseling to crime victims.
description: Users are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Final
Report for information on sampling and respondent contact procedures.