Disturbance produces clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. Rates of PTSD appear to be higher among victims who report crimes to the criminal justice system than among nonreporting victims. There is also evidence that many crime victims with PTSD do not spontaneously recover without treatment , and that some crime victims have PTSD years after they were victimized. Compared to people without a history of criminal victimization, people with criminal victimization have been found to have significantly higher rates of major depression , thoughts of suicide , alcohol and drug problems, panic disorders, agoraphobia, and obsessive compulsive disorders. In addition to these mental disorders and mental health problems, violent crime often results in profound changes in other aspects of the victims' life.
Many victims experience problems in their relationships with family and friends.
Among the relationship problems they can experience is difficulty in sexual relations with their partner. Most crime victims think that the criminal justice system should be responsible for providing them with counseling for crime-related psychological trauma. This is particularly noteworthy because virtually all crime victims are eligible for crime victim compensation coverage for their mental health counseling. Few criminal justice system professionals and other victim advocates are trained mental health professionals, so because they are not mental health professionals, criminal justice system professionals or other victim advocates are not expected to provide specialized mental health treatment to victims with crime-related psychological trauma. They also need to know how to help victims obtain access to adequate counseling.