SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE 

SURVEILLANCE

UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND 

RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Division of Violence Prevention

Self-directed Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and 

Recommended Data Elements

Version 1.0

Alex E. Crosby, MD, MPH

LaVonne Ortega, MD, MPH

Cindi Melanson, MPH

February 2011

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Division of Violence Prevention

Atlanta, Georgia

1
2 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Self-directed Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0 

is a publication of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director

Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health

Robin Ikeda, MD, MPH, CAPT, USPHS, Deputy Director

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Linda C. Degutis, DrPH, MSN

Division of Violence Prevention

W. Rodney Hammond, PhD, Director

Suggested citation:

Crosby AE, Ortega L, Melanson C. Self-directed Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and 

Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2011
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 3

Table of Contents

Reviewers and panel members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Background

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Public Health Burden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Need for Better Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

The SDV Consultative Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Purpose and Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Use of the Recommended Data Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Uniform Definitions

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Flowchart for Surveillance Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Unacceptable Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Recommended Data Elements for Self-directed Violence

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Data Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Other Resources on Data Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Vignettes

Vignettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Answers and Explanation to Vignettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Appendix

Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
4 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Panel members

Lee Annest, PhD

Office of Statistical Programming

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F62

Atlanta, GA 30341

Gregory Brown, PhD

Research Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry

University of Pennsylvania

3535 Market Street. Rm 2030

Philadelphia, PA 19104-2648

Cindy Claassen, PhD

Clinical Director, Psychosocial Support Program,

Parkland Hospital Trauma Service

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry

UT Southwestern Medical Center,

5323 Harry Hines Boulevard

Dallas, TX 75390-9158

Alex E. Crosby, MD, MPH

Etiology and Surveillance Branch

Division of Violence Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F63

Atlanta, GA 30341

Paul Duberstein, PhD

Department of Psychiatry

University of Rochester Medical Center

300 Crittenden Boulevard

Rochester, NY 14642-8409

Lynn Fullerton-Gleason, PhD

Scientist

Department of Emergency Medicine

MS: C10 5560

1 University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

Sean Joe, MSW, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work 

Department of Psychiatry

School of Medicine 

University of Michigan

1080 S. University Avenue

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109

 Melvin Kohn, MD, MPH

State Epidemiologist

Office of Disease Prevention and Epidemiology

Oregon Department of Human Services

800 NE Oregon, Suite 772

Portland, OR 97232

Victoria Ozonoff, PhD

Director of Injury Surveillance

Massachusetts Department of Health

250 Washington Street, 6th Floor

Boston, MA 02108

Jane Pearson, PhD

Chair, NIMH Suicide Research Consortium

Associate Director for Preventive Interventions

Division of Services & Intervention Research

6001 Executive Boulevard, Rm 7160, MSC 9635

Bethesda, MD 20892-9635

Kelly Posner, PhD

New York Psychiatric Institute

Department of Child Psychiatry, Box 74

1051 Riverside Drive

New York, NY 10032

Morton Silverman, MD

Department of Veterans Affairs

VISN 19 MIRECC

4858 South Dorchester Ave

Chicago, Illinois 60615-2012
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 5

Additional CDC Staff who planned or attended 

panel meetings (Contact information at time 

of participation)

Ileana Arias, PhD

Director

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F63

Atlanta, GA 30341

M. Joyce McCurdy, MSA

Deputy

Etiology and Surveillance Branch

Division of Violence Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F63

Atlanta, GA 30341

Malinda Steenkamp, MPHIL

Etiology and Surveillance Branch

Division of Violence Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F63

Atlanta, GA 30341

Ellen Anderson

Etiology and Surveillance Branch

Division of Violence Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F63

Atlanta, GA 30341

External reviewers

Eric D. Caine, MD

Professor and Chair

Department of Psychiatry

University of Rochester Medical Center

300 Crittenden Boulevard

Rochester, NY 14642-8409

Kenneth R. Conner, Psy.D., MPH

Associate Professor, Psychiatry

University of Rochester Medical Center

300 Crittenden Boulevard

Rochester, NY 14642

Lemyra DeBruyn, PhD

CAPT USPHS

Senior Scientist/Field Director

Native Diabetes Wellness Program

Division of Diabetes Translation 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1720 Louisiana Boulevard, NE, Suite 208

Albuquerque, NM 87110

Keri M. Lubell, PhD

Team Lead, Behavioral Scientist

Emergency Response Communications Branch

National Center for Health Marketing

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road, NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30329

Marlene EchoHawk, PhD

Health Science Administrator

Behavioral Health Program

Indian Health Service

801 Thompson Avenue

Suite 300

Rockville, MD 20852
6 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

David A. Jobes, PhD, ABPP

Professor of Psychology 

Co-Director of Clinical Training 

Clinical Psychology

Catholic University

314 O’Boyle Hall

Washington, DC 20064

Professor Keith Hawton

Director, Centre for Suicide Research

University Department of Psychiatry

Warneford Hospital

Oxford, OX3 7JX

Katherine Anne (Kate) Comtois, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Harborview Medical Center 

University of Washington

Box 359911

Seattle, WA 98195

Jerry Reed, PhD, MSW

Director

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

1000 Potomac Street, NW

Suite 350

Washington, DC 20007

Maria Oquendo, MD

Professor of Clinical Psychiatry

Columbia University Medical Center

Department of Psychiatry and 

New York Psychiatric Institute

Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology

1051 Riverside Drive, Suite 2917, Unit 42, 

New York, NY 10032

Carl C. Bell, MD

President/C.E.O.

Community Mental Health Council

8704 S. Constance Avenue

Chicago, IL 60617

Madelyn S. Gould, PhD, MPH

Professor, Psychiatry and Public Health 

(Epidemiology)

Columbia University/NYSPI

1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 72

New York, NY 10032

J. John Mann MD

Paul Janssen Professor of Translational Neuroscience

Columbia University Medical Center

Department of Psychiatry and 

New York Psychiatric Institute

Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology

1051 Riverside Drive, Suite 2917, Unit 42

New York, NY 10032

Eve K. Mościcki, ScD, MPH

Director, Practice Research Network

American Psychiatric Institute for 

Research and Education

1000 Wilson Boulevard

Suite 1825

Arlington, VA 22209

Lisa Brenner, PhD, ABPP

Director of Education

Director of Psychology Training

Department of Veterans Affairs

VISN 19, MIRECC

1055 Clermont Street

Denver, CO 80220

Katherine K. Bellon, PhD

Eastern Colorado Health Care System

VISN 19, MIRECC

1055 Clermont Street

Denver, CO 80220
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 7

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our panel of experts and reviewers for their invaluable input and contribution 

of energy and expertise without which this effort could not have succeeded. In addition, the authors 

would like to thank the staff of the Etiology and Surveillance Branch and Health Communications teams 

in the Division of Violence Prevention at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC 
8 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 9 BACKGROUND
10 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

without whose contributions this report would not have been possible.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 11

Background

Introduction 

Self-directed violence (SDV) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States and worldwide. 

Though numerous organizations collect information on fatal and non-fatal SDV, there is considerable confusion 

about how to define the phenomenon. To address the current lack of uniform definitions, the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC) proposes the following surveillance* definitions for SDV. Use of consistent terminology 

with standardized definitions will improve communication among researchers, clinicians, and others working in this 

important area.

*In this document, the term “surveillance” is used in the public health sense and is defined as the ongoing, systematic 

collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data regarding a health-related event for use in public health action 

to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health.1

Public Health Burden

The World Health Organization defines violence as: “The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or 

actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high 

likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.”2

 The definition should be 

understood to include consequences such as psychological and social problems as well as physical problems, all of 

which are of concern to communities and place considerable burdens on the health, social and justice systems. This 

definition recognizes that the outcomes of violence are broader than physical injury, disability or death. Injuries and 

deaths resulting from self-directed violent behaviors represent a substantial drain on the economic, social, and health 

resources of the nation. 

Self-directed violence (SDV) encompasses a range of violent behaviors, including acts of fatal and nonfatal suicidal 

behavior, and non-suicidal intentional self-harm (i.e., behaviors where the intention is not to kill oneself, as in selfmutilation). Though not a behavior, we have chosen to include suicidal ideation (i.e., thinking about, considering, or 

planning for suicide) in this document due to its association with self-directed violent behavior.3

 The National Center 

for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) has adopted the public health approach to systematically address the 

problem of self-directed violence. The public health approach involves the following: defining and describing the 

nature of the problem; studying the factors that increase or lower risk; developing and evaluating ways to prevent the 

problem; and implementing interventions and disseminating information.2

Injury from self-directed violence is a major public health problem throughout the United States and the rest of the 

world.2,4-6 In 2007 in the United States, suicide, one form of SDV, was the 11th leading cause of death overall, resulting in 

34,598 deaths7; it was the third leading cause of death among persons aged 15–24 years, fourth among persons aged 

25–44 years, and eighth among those aged 45–64 years.8 Although suicide continues to be problematic throughout 

the life span, rates for males are highest among those aged 85+ years, while among females the rates are highest 

among those aged 45–49 years. Suicides reflect only a minor portion of the total impact of suicidal behavior which 

itself is a component of SDV. Substantially more persons are hospitalized as a result of nonfatal suicidal behavior than 

are fatally injured, and an even greater number are either treated in ambulatory settings or not treated at all.9,10 There 

were an estimated average of 533,000 visits to U.S. hospital emergency departments for self-directed violence, the 

majority of which are suicide attempts, which occurred during 2005 and 2006.11,12 Other research indicates that >50% 

of persons who engage in suicidal behavior never seek health services.13 Consequently, prevalence figures based on 

health records substantially underestimate the societal burden of suicidal behavior and of SDV.

Comparative descriptions of suicidal ideation or behavior demonstrate certain key differences among population 

groups. For example, rates of suicide are higher among males than among females, while the reverse is found in studies 

of suicidal thoughts and nonfatal suicidal behavior.14 Age-group specific suicide rates have traditionally been highest 
12 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

among older adults aged >65 years compared to adolescents and young adults, but rates on nonfatal suicidal behavior 

are highest among the younger age groups and relatively low among older adults.4 Certain US populations such as 

American Indians/Alaska Natives and African-Americans have their highest suicide rates among adolescents and young 

adults whereas other groups such as Asian-Americans and Hispanics have their highest rates among older adults.15

Total lifetime costs associated with nonfatal injuries and deaths caused by self-directed violence in 2000 were 

approximately $33 billion, including $1 billion for medical treatment and $32 billion for lost productivity.16

Compounding these costs is the incalculable impact of loss of life and the emotional trauma experienced by surviving 

family, friends, and communities that are affected by each person’s fatal or nonfatal suicidal behavior.17

Need for Better Data

Despite the large volume of data on certain types of SDV, the utility and reproducibility of the resulting information is 

sometimes questionable. Mortality data are problematic for several reasons: geographical differences in the definition 

of suicide and how equivocal cases are classified; jurisdictional differences in the requirements for the office of coroner 

or medical examiner affecting the standard of proof required to classify a death as a suicide; and differences in terms 

of the extent to which potential suicides are investigated to accurately determine cause of death.18 The quality of the 

data on nonfatal suicidal behavior is even more problematic than that of suicides. The concerns about discrepancies in 

nomenclature19-23 and accurate reporting11,24 apply here even more than with suicides. Also, except for rare exceptions 

there is neither systematic nor mandatory reporting of nonfatal suicidal behavior in the United States at the state or 

local level, nor is there routine systematic collection of non-suicidal intentional self harm data. 

These “system” problems with data collection have been discussed for more than a generation. Over 35 years ago, the 

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) convened a conference on suicide prevention at which a committee was 

charged with recommending a system for defining and communicating about suicidal behaviors.25 More recently, 

two scientific reviews that addressed the state of suicide-related research also remarked on the need for consistent 

definitions. The Institute of Medicine issued a report entitled Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative.4 This report states 

”Research on suicide is plagued by many methodological problems... definitions lack uniformity,...reporting of suicide 

is inaccurate.” “There is a need for researchers and clinicians in suicidology to use a common language or set of terms in 

describing suicidal phenomena.” The World Health Organization issued the World Report on Violence and Health.

2

 In the 

chapter addressing self-directed violence the authors note “Data on suicide and attempted suicide should be valid and 

up to date. There should be a set of uniform criteria and definitions and – once established – these should be consistently 

applied and continually reviewed.”

There are also “non-system” barriers to obtaining reliable SDV surveillance information. For example, the repetitive 

nature of some types of SDV, make it important to separate counts of the number of individuals affected from the 

number of incidents of SDV. This difficulty is compounded by the varying procedures used by different data collection 

sources. Health care organizations may file and treat each event separately, or they may record repeated incidents in 

the same patient file. In addition, there are social barriers to obtaining accurate SDV surveillance data. These barriers 

include the stigma associated with the topic; the guilt and shame that inhibit a patient’s admission that act was 

intentional; and the lack of training and other concerns that inhibit health care personnel’s capacity to elicit and record 

accurate accounts of SDV in official records. Furthermore, it appears only a minority of individuals engaging in SDV 

behavior ever seek help from the health care system.13

For example, to address just the suicide-related component of SDV as a public health problem would require the 

sustained and systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of accurate information on the incidence, prevalence 

and characteristics of fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior. Surveillance is a cornerstone of public health, allowing 

realistic priority setting, facilitating the design of prevention programs, and the ability to evaluate such programs.26

Official suicide rates have been used to chart trends in suicide; monitor the impact of change in legislation, treatment 

policies, and social change; and to compare suicides across regions, both within and across countries. In addition, 

suicide rates afford a method by which to assess population-based risk and protective factors for geographical areas 

(counties, states and countries). However, there exist serious inadequacies in the availability and quality of mortality 

data. The sources of data that are currently available remain “‘thin’ ... with no connection to other relevant data...” .27
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 13

The need for improved and expanded surveillance systems is highlighted as one of the central goals of the National 

Strategy for Suicide Prevention.14

Inconsistent reporting of SDV has significant consequences for public health and application in problem description, 

assessment of risk and protective factors, understanding the longitudinal course and outcome of SDV processes, 

and the development and evaluation of effective preventive and treatment intervention strategies. Differential 

underreporting for certain groups means that our understanding of that population’s risk and protective factors for 

SDV may contain significant inaccuracies. This could result in inattention to an at-risk population: if the true rates of 

SDV are higher than the official statistics indicate, not only is SDV likely to be viewed as a less important problem 

among this population, but the SDV risk factors identified by researchers might more accurately reflect the SDV 

process for some other group. When these faulty conclusions become the basis for developing SDV prevention 

programs, such programs might miss opportunities to address the factors more consequential for the targeted 

population. To correct this process, we need accurate data on each group.

CDC has initiated several activities with the goal of improving classification of certain forms of SDV. CDC developed 

national practice guidelines for determining suicide for coroners and medical examiners.28 In addition, CDC has 

included an objective to examine surveillance methods for SDV in the National Center for Injury Prevention and 

Control’s research agenda.29 As a co-sponsor of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP), CDC supported the 

inclusion of items specifically addressing expansion and improvement of data systems including surveillance.14 CDC’s 

previous efforts developing uniform definitions and recommended data elements in the separate areas of intimate 

partner violence, sexual violence and child maltreatment have informed the process of developing the definitions for 

SDV.30-32 CDC has also supported the development of SDV surveillance. For example, CDC has developed a module to 

assess self-directed violence in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) which 

includes data on hospital emergency department visits for nonfatal self-directed violence.33 The module supplements 

information from the general NEISS-AIP by collecting additional information on the characteristics of persons 

presenting to hospital emergency departments (EDs) for self-directed violence; identifying specific substances used in 

the event; and acting as an early warning system on emerging problems in regard to self-inflicted injury. 34

Recognizing the need to improve the quality of SDV data, the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and 

Control (NCIPC) initiated a process to address some of the conceptual difficulties inherent in the task. CDC decided 

to concentrate its new efforts on developing uniform definitions and data elements for SDV surveillance. The process 

involved a consultative procedure to address some of the scientific issues related to definitions and potential data 

elements that might be appropriate to collect as part of surveillance activities.

The SDV Consultative Process

•	 The history of CDC work on SDV surveillance definitions and recommended data elements, spans several years:

•	 In 2003, CDC commissioned an extensive review of the scientific literature that addressed self-directed violence 

(SDV) surveillance definitions. The information gathered from this review was synthesized in a report. 

•	 CDC recruited a panel of scientists and practitioners representing multiple disciplines (e.g., medicine, psychology, 

epidemiology, sociology), various affiliations (e.g., government, academic institutions), and diverse areas of interest 

(e.g., suicidal behavior, public health surveillance, injury prevention). This panel was convened for a discussion of 

SDV surveillance definitions.

•	 The report from the literature review, select publications on suicide-related nomenclature, and other documents on 

public health and injury-specific surveillance were compiled as background material and distributed to the panel.

•	 The panel was convened in April 2004 to develop draft SDV definitions, data elements, and items for a glossary.

•	 The panel discussion was recorded and transcribed and the resulting meeting notes were compiled and 

distributed to panel members for review and commentary.

•	 The draft definitions were reviewed and discussed at an October 2005 meeting with suicide prevention leaders 

representing the U.S Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.
14 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

•	 The meeting notes and draft definitions were distributed to external reviewers nominated by the panel. Written 

feedback from the external reviewers on the definitions and glossary was compiled and added to the meeting notes. 

The meeting notes along with the external panel comments and suggestions were distributed to the original panel.

•	 The original 2004 panel was reconvened in April 2007 (with two substitutions) to examine comments from the 

external reviewers, discuss advances in the field since the last meeting and revise the definitions document.

•	 At the April 2007 meeting, the panel was charged with three main tasks: 1) finalizing the definitions to be used in 

the document; 2) revising the list of glossary terms, and 3) identifying a set of data elements that were considered 

essential for SDV surveillance. During the panel discussion, however, it became evident that there were no clearly 

identifiable criteria or procedures for determining which data elements could plausibly be collected in the 

diverse nature of national, state and local surveillance systems, or which ones were the highest priority. The data 

elements presented in this report are those identified by the panel as useful, acknowledging that some institutions 

participating in a surveillance system may be able to collect only a subset of the recommended elements. The 

panel also developed conceptual definitions of terms to be used in conjunction with the data elements. It 

became evident that these definitions might need to be operationalized (i.e., made measurable) in different ways, 

depending on the source of the data.

•	 The discussion at the April 2007 meeting was recorded, transcribed and distributed to panel members. CDC staff 

summarized the recommendations from the April 2007 meeting, and incorporated changes recommended by 

the panel members. CDC staff also researched definitions for the glossary terms, developed descriptions and 

criteria for the data elements and produced a document containing all of this information.

•	 A draft of the document using the 2007 meeting notes, glossary, data elements, and vignettes was sent to the 

panel, and other external reviewers nominated by the panel. Drafts of the definitions-only were also distributed 

to individuals representing the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and Coast Guard for 

comments and suggestions.

•	 A summary of the draft definitions and recommended data elements was presented at several national suicide 

prevention conferences during 2008 and 2009 and comments were solicited from audience members.

•	 Selected comments from the various groups were incorporated into the document.

•	 Revisions were made to definitions and key terms to make them consistent with Department of Veterans Affairs’ 

SDV classification system clinical tool.

Purpose and Scope

Self-directed Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, is intended for use by 

individuals and organizations interested in gathering surveillance data on self-directed violence. The document 

is not meant as a mandate, but rather is intended to promote and improve consistency of SDV surveillance. If the 

recommended data elements can be uniformly recorded and the data made available to numerous users, then better 

estimates of SDV incidence and prevalence can be obtained and problems such as data incompatibility and high 

costs of collecting, linking, and using data can be substantially reduced.

The recommended data elements are designed to collect information of value for public health surveillance of SDV and 

to serve as a technical reference for automation of surveillance data. The 35 data elements are organized into 2 major 

sections: Identifying Information for the SDV Surveillance System and the Individual’s Demographics; and Characteristics 

associated with the Individual’s SDV behavior. A structured format, modified from the Data Elements for Emergency 

Department Systems (DEEDS), Release 1.035, is used to document each data element as follows: a Description/Definition 

of the data element; a description of its Uses; a Discussion of conceptual or operational issues; specification of the Data 

Type (and maximum allowed Field Length); an indication of when data element repetition may be necessary to include 

all answers that may apply; Field Values/Coding Instructions that designate recommended coding specification and 

valid data entries; and, where applicable, reference to one or more data standards or guidelines used to define the 

data element and its field values, and other references considered in developing the data element.35 Data types and 

field lengths conform to specifications in Health Level 7 (HL7), a widely used protocol for electronic data exchange, 

and ASTM’s (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) E1238-94: Standard Specification for 

Transferring Clinical Observations Between Independent Computer Systems.36,37
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 15

Notes on the Use of Self-directed Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data 

Elements, Version 1.0

The “definitions” proposed here are likely to be valuable for a wide range of policymakers, researchers, public health 

practitioners, service providers, and media professionals seeking to clarify discussions about SDV. However, most 

terms in the “Uniform Definitions” are defined in only a general sense, and researchers and other users may need to 

further refine them. Other terms, such as “victim-precipitated” and “self-inflicted” are included in the key terms section. 

However, this document could not be exhaustive regarding terminology so users are referred to other documents 

such as the IOM report on suicidal behavior or the NSSP. Issues needing further clarification could be addressed in 

subsequent versions of the “definitions”. It should be noted that the definitions proposed here are consistent with 

others which have undergone empirical testing and demonstrated good reliability.38

As you use the “Recommended Data Elements,” consider the following points:

•	 Ethical and safety issues are foremost in any effort to examine self-directed violence. No data should be collected 

or stored in a manner that could jeopardize an individual’s safety or privacy. Those interested in developing a 

surveillance system for SDV must be particularly conscious of the need to preserve confidentiality. The issue of 

confidentiality must be balanced with the need for data linkage across multiple data sources, perhaps through 

mechanisms such as encryption of unique identifiers.

•	 Concurrent with progress toward more uniform and accessible data, existing methods of protecting the 

confidentiality of data must be strengthened. Guaranteeing confidentiality will serve multiple purposes. First, 

it may protect individuals who engage in SDV from potential discrimination. Second, it may encourage those 

individuals to report SDV.

•	 Each data element is numbered for convenience of presentation and for easy identification. In addition, literature 

sources for the background section (i.e., public health burden, need for better data, SDV consultative process, 

purpose and scope, and next steps) are listed separately from the references for the data elements to ease use. 

The data elements are not meant to be “administered” as a survey or a questionnaire, but instead are presented as 

information to be gathered from appropriate data sources in the jurisdictions conducting SDV surveillance. Thus, 

the elements can be gathered in any order and can be obtained from one or more data sources for individuals 

engaging in self-directed violence. Each data element includes a code set that specifies recommended coding 

values and instructions for what to do when the data element is not applicable for a particular victim. Obviously, 

the accuracy and completeness of data collected on SDV events depends upon what is documented by the 

agency providing the information.

•	 Currently the “Recommended Data Elements” contains 35 items, however the list may be modified in the future. 

Persons implementing a surveillance system using this list may find that one or more variables need to be added, 

removed, or enhanced.36 Further, the list should not discourage individuals who operate systems from collecting 

information that is not included in the recommended elements. Rather, the suggested elements will comprise a 

core set of data that should, if possible, be systematically be collected by all surveillance systems. Desirable data 

elements that are not feasible to collect as part of a surveillance system will need to be collected in other ways.

•	 The goals of SDV surveillance are to obtain an estimate of the number of people who are affected by self-directed 

violence and to describe the characteristics of people affected, the number and types of SDV episodes, the 

associated injuries, and other consequences. Counting injuries as part of a surveillance system is a common proxy 

for estimating the number of people affected. However, the large number of cases in which multiple forms of 

violence co-occur and the repetitive nature of SDV mean that such a proxy may be less accurate than is desired. To 

obtain more accurate estimates of the number of people affected by SDV, ultimately we will need to develop some 

mechanism for linking data, both within and across different data sources.39, 40 For further discussion and information 

on setting up an injury surveillance system, please see the WHO’s document Injury Surveillance Guidelines.41

•	 No single data source is likely to collect all of the components of SDV. As a consequence, it is likely that anyone 

setting up a surveillance system will need to integrate data from multiple sources (e.g., death certificates, hospital 

records, emergency medical system records, surveys, health care records and law enforcement records) to develop 

a comprehensive picture of SDV in their community.42, 43
16 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

•	 It is recognized that categorizing SDV behavior into suicidal and non-suicidal categories can be difficult. This is 

due to several considerations, first that the behavior is multi-dimensional rather that unitary and second that 

if information is collected from patients’ self-reports, that the way the individual perceives his/her intent can 

change within a few hours. Nevertheless, due to the essential nature of this information to clinical and public 

health decision-making, it is critical to try to obtain it.44

•	 Vignettes are included after the data elements to provide the reader with an opportunity to make an assessment 

about SDV categorization in the situations described. Their purpose is to provide an opportunity for the reader to 

gauge his/her understanding of the material.

Next Steps

As with the CDC guidelines for recommended data elements for other forms of violence (Intimate Partner Violence 

Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0, 2002; Sexual Violence Surveillance: 

Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0, 2002; and Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Uniform 

Definitions for Public Health and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0., 2008 ), this initial release of Self-directed 

Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0 is intended to serve as a starting 

point.30-32 Many data element definitions and coding specifications are new, and field testing is necessary to evaluate 

them. Systematic field studies or pilot tests are needed to gauge the usefulness of Version 1.0 for SDV surveillance, to 

identify optimal methods of data collection, and to specify resource requirements for implementation. This testing 

will help to identify unforeseen problems with the data elements and adaptations needed for various settings, and 

to ensure that categories are mutually exclusive. Along with testing, evaluation of any surveillance system using 

these definitions is essential.43

These definitions can be applied in a variety of communities or settings where surveillance systems are either in-place 

or planned such as states, counties, or health clinics, emergency departments, hospitals, and institutions responsible 

for completing death certificates. Though the proposed definitions are not directly translatable to household or 

community survey application, the concepts of the definitions could be converted into data items for reliability and 

validity testing. Prospective users of Version 1.0 are invited to contact CDC to discuss their plans for evaluating or using 

some or all of the recommended data elements. Lessons learned through field testing and evaluation will be a valuable 

source of input for subsequent revisions, but all comments and suggestions for improving this document are welcome.

We hope that many organizations will try these definitions and data elements and provide feedback to CDC. 

Exploration of surveillance methods and assessments of the feasibility and utility of collecting this information will 

improve future versions of this document. We plan to use information obtained from trials of the initial version to 

refine the definitions and the number of recommended data elements in future versions.

 Please send questions or suggestions for improving Self-directed Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and 

Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0 to:

Etiology and Surveillance Branch

Division of Violence Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS F63

Atlanta, GA 30341 

www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 17

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Academy Press; 1999.

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1445-56.

29 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. CDC Injury Research Agenda, 2009–2018. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and 

Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2009. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc. Accessed on 28 August 

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2002.

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for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2002.

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Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury 

Prevention and Control; 2008.

33. CDC. National estimates of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments --- United States, 2000. MMWR. 2001; 

50;340-6.

34. Logan J, Crosby A, Ryan G. Nonfatal self-inflicted injuries among adults aged ≥65 years – United States, 2005. Morbidity and Mortality 

Weekly Report. 2007; 56:989-993.

35. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Data elements for emergency department systems, release 1.0. Atlanta, GA: Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997.

36. Health Level 7 Web site. About HL7. Available at: http://www.hl7.org. Accessed November 26, 2007.

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Computer Systems, E1238-94. Philadelphia, PA: American Soc Testing and Materials; 1994.

38. Posner K, Oquendo MA, Gould M, Stanley B, Davies M. Columbia Classification Algorithm of Suicide Assessment (C-CASA): 

Classification of Suicidal Events in the FDA’s Pediatric Suicidal Risk Analysis of Antidepressants. Am J Psychiatry. 2007; 164:1035-1043.

39. Meriwether RA. Blueprint for a National Public Health Surveillance System for the 21st century. J Public Health Management Practice 

1996;2(4):16-23.

40. Horan JM, Mallonee S. Injury Surveillance. Epidemiol Review. 2003; 25:24-42.

41. Holder Y, Peden M, Krug E et al (Eds). Injury Surveillance Guidelines. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2001.

42. State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors’ Association. Consensus recommendations for injury surveillance in state health 

departments. Marietta, GA: State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors’ Association, 2007.

43. CDC. Updated guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems: recommendations from the guidelines working group.

MMWR. 2001;50(No. RR-13):1-51.

44. Hjelmeland H, Hawton K, Nordvik H, Bille-Brahe U, DeLeo D, Fekete S, Grad O, Haring C, Kerkhof AJFM, Lonnqvist J, Michel K, Salander 

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Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 2002; 32; 380-393.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 19 UNIFORM DEFINITIONS
20 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 21

Uniform Definitions

Definitions

Self-directed violence (analogous to self-injurious behavior)

Behavior that is self-directed and deliberately results in injury or the potential for injury to oneself.

This does not include behaviors such as parachuting, gambling, substance abuse, tobacco use or other risk 

taking activities, such as excessive speeding in motor vehicles. These are complex behaviors some of which 

are risk factors for SDV but are defined as behavior that while likely to be life-threatening is not recognized by 

the individual as behavior intended to destroy or injure the self. (Farberow, N. L. (Ed.) (1980). The Many Faces 

of Suicide. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company). These behaviors may have a high probability of injury 

or death as an outcome but the injury or death is usually considered unintentional. Hanzlick R, Hunsaker 

JC, Davis GJ. Guide for Manner of Death Classification. National Association of Medical Examiners. Available at: 

http://www.charlydmiller.com/LIB03/2002NAMEmannerofdeath.pdf. Accessed 1 Sept 2009.

Self-directed violence is categorized into the following:

Non-suicidal (as defined below)

Suicidal (as defined below).

Non-suicidal self-directed violence 

Behavior that is self-directed and deliberately results in injury or the potential for injury to oneself. 

There is no evidence, whether implicit or explicit, of suicidal intent. Please see appendix for definition of 

implicit and explicit.

Suicidal self-directed violence 

Behavior that is self-directed and deliberately results in injury or the potential for injury to oneself. 

There is evidence, whether implicit or explicit, of suicidal intent.

Undetermined self-directed violence

Behavior that is self-directed and deliberately results in injury or the potential for injury to oneself. 

Suicidal intent is unclear based on the available evidence.

Suicide attempt

A non-fatal self-directed potentially injurious behavior with any intent to die as a result of the behavior.

A suicide attempt may or may not result in injury.

Interrupted self-directed violence – by self or by other

By other - A person takes steps to injure self but is stopped by another person prior to fatal injury. The interruption 

can occur at any point during the act such as after the initial thought or after onset of behavior. 

By self (in other documents may be termed “aborted” suicidal behavior) - A person takes steps to injure self but 

is stopped by self prior to fatal injury. 

Source: Posner K, Oquendo MA, Gould M, Stanley B, Davies M. Columbia Classification Algorithm of Suicide Assessment (C-CASA): 

Classification of Suicidal Events in the FDA’s Pediatric Suicidal Risk Analysis of Antidepressants. Am J Psychiatry. 2007; 164:1035-1043. 

http://cssrs.columbia.edu/
22 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Suicidal 

Self -Directed 

Violence 

Undetermined 

Self -Directed 

Violence

Non -Suicidal 

Self -Directed 

Violence 

Other Suicidal 

Behavior 

e.g., Preparatory

Other Undetermined 

SDV 

e.g., Preparatory 

Non-Suicidal SDV with 

or without Injury 

e.g., Interrupted (by 

self or other) 

Other Non-Suicidal 

SDV 

e.g., Preparatory 

Undetermined SDV 

with or without Injury

e.g., Interrupted (by 

self or other)

Fatal 

(Suicide)

Self -Directed 

Violence (SDV)

Non -Fatal Fatal Non -F atal Fatal Non -Fatal 

Suicidal SDV with 

or without Injury 

(suicide attempt) 

e.g., Interrupted 

(by self or other) 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 23

Other suicidal behavior including preparatory acts

Acts or preparation towards making a suicide attempt, but before potential for harm has begun. This can 

include anything beyond a verbalization or thought, such as assembling a method (e.g., buying a gun, 

collecting pills) or preparing for one’s death by suicide (e.g., writing a suicide note, giving things away). Posner 

et al, 2007.

Suicide

Death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with any intent to die as a result of the behavior.

Unacceptable Terms

The panel felt the following terms are unacceptable for describing self-directed violence:

•	 Completed suicide - This terminology implies achieving a desired outcome whereas those involved in the mission 

of “reducing disease, premature death, and discomfort and disability” (J. Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology 1988) 

would view this event as undesirable. Alternate term: suicide

•	 Failed attempt - This terminology gives a negative impression of the person’s action, implying an unsuccessful 

effort aimed at achieving death. Alternate terms: suicide attempt or suicidal self-directed violence.

•	 Nonfatal suicide – This terminology portrays a contradiction. “Suicide” indicates a death while “nonfatal” indicates 

that no death occurred. Alternate term: suicide attempt

•	 Parasuicide – Formally used to refer to a person’s self-directed violence whether or not the individual had an 

intent to die. However, the World Health Organization is now favoring the term suicide attempt. 

Alternate terms: non-suicidal self-directed violence or suicidal self-directed violence.

•	 Successful suicide – This term also implies achieving a desired outcome whereas those involved in the mission 

of “reducing disease, premature death, and discomfort and disability” would view this event as undesirable. 

Alternate term: suicide.

•	 Suicidality - This terminology is often used to refer simultaneously to suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior. 

These phenomena are vastly different in occurrence, associated factors, consequences and interventions so 

should be addressed separately. Alternate terms: suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior. 

•	 Suicide gesture, Manipulative act, and Suicide threat – Each of these terms gives a value judgment with a 

pejorative or negative impression of the person’s intent. They are usually used to describe an episode of nonfatal, 

self-directed violence. A more objective description of the event is preferable such as non-suicidal self-directed 

violence or suicidal self-directed violence.
24 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 25
26 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 27

Recommended Data Elements

Introduction

Each of the sections to follow describes specific recommended data elements that can be included in a surveillance 

system designed to collect information on suicide. The order of the data elements as they appear in this document 

is not intended to suggest a hierarchy, users may choose the order of data elements that best fits their surveillance 

system.

For each data element some, or all, of the following categories of information are listed:

•	 Name of the data element;

•	 Description or Definition of the data element;

•	 Uses of the data element;

•	 Discussion of relevant conceptual or operational issues;

•	 Data Standards or Guidelines used to define the data elements and its field values;

•	 Multiple Response Option or Repetition, an indication of where it is appropriate to include more than one response, 

e.g. appropriate to code all answers or response options that apply;

•	 Other References consulted in developing the data elements.

Depending on the relevance of the information for a specific data element some of the previous categories (e.g., uses, 

discussion, etc) may be marked as not applicable.

Data elements 

Identifying Information

1 Case ID

2 Data Source 

Individual Sociodemographics

3 Sex

4 Age, Birth Date of person

5 Race

6 Ethnicity

7 Marital status

8 Person’s Residence (City, State, and County)

Socioeconomic status

9 Education

10 Occupation

11 Economic activity
28 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Event information

12 Manner of injury

13 Place of occurrence

14 Date and Time of injury

15 Nature of injury

16 Mechanism (firearm, cutting/piercing, etc) 

17 Activity

18 Alcohol use

19 Drug use

20 Injury severity

21 Disposition

22 Medical care

23 Self-directed violence category

24 Suicidal thoughts at time of injury

25 Risk-Rescue rating

Individual and family history

Previous medical history

26 Somatic

27 Mental 

28 Previous suicidal behavior

29 Previous suicidal thoughts

30 Family medical/psychiatric history

31 Sexual orientation

32 Military service 

Associated factors

33 Proximal factors (Include precipitating events such as recent history of personal crisis) 

34 Protective factors

35 Incident summary 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 29

1. Case ID

Definition: This data element is substituted for confidential identifying information in datasets. It is 

unique to each case and is intended for properly merging data on individuals from multiple 

sources and avoiding double-counting. It may be assigned by the facility/agency responsible 

for surveillance or it may be a generic unique identifier that belongs to the presenting case 

e.g. national ID with a date suffixed to distinguish between visits and incidents. Alternatively, 

secure in-house datasets may use a medical record number as the identifier.

Uses: The facility’s internal identifier allows appropriate data exchange between approved parties 

while health care is being delivered and ensures that accessed, entered, or altered records 

correspond with the proper person. It also facilitates data linkage for administrative and 

research purposes. 

Discussion: Until a universal person identifier is established, a locally assigned identifier is needed. To 

protect personal privacy and confidentiality, access to this data element must be limited to 

authorized personnel. 

Repetition: No 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Health Level 7, Version 2.3 (HL7, 1996). 

Other References: None. 

2. Data Source

Definition: Agency or source from which SDV surveillance information is abstracted.

Uses: Identifies the agency or organization that supplied data for this person. It will enable linkage 

of multiple agency contacts for the same individual.

Code Description

01 Hospital in-patient

02 Hospital emergency department

02 Other hospital department

03 Other ambulatory health care, including mental health

04 Police/Sheriff/Law enforcement

05 Prosecutor/District attorney

06 Social service agency 

07 Telephone hotline for crisis services

08 Other social service agencies

09 Coroner or medical examiner
30 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

10 Vital statistics office within state health department

11 Other agency or data source

Discussion: This variable is essential in order to be able to distinguish the source of the information 

and the differences in definition from various sources such as police reports, coroner’s 

investigative reports, hospital documents, etc. No single agency is likely to collect all of 

the data elements recommended. As a consequence, it is likely that anyone setting up a 

surveillance system will need to combine data from a number of sources (e.g., health care 

records and police records) using a relational database. This will allow information on data 

elements to be gathered from each data source used. 

A unique identifier is the preferred tool for linking documents across all data sources. This 

identifier may or may not be identical to the data element Case ID.

Repetition: No

Data Standards

or Guidelines: None

Other References: None.

3. Sex

Definition: Sex of person.

Uses: The person’s sex is standard demographic and identifying information used in clinical care and 

for multiple additional purposes. Rates of suicide are higher among males than among females, 

while the reverse is found in studies of suicidal thoughts and nonfatal suicidal behavior.

Code Description 

M Male 

F Female 

O Other (e.g. Hermaphrodite, Transsexual)

U Unknown

Discussion: None. 

Repetition: No 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: E1384-96 (American Society for Testing and Materials, 1996) and Health Level 7, Version 2.3 

(HL7, 1996). 

Other References: None
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 31

4. Date of birth

Definition: The calendar date on which the person was born.

Uses: Date of birth can be used to calculate the person’s age. Year, month, and day of birth are 

entered in the format YYYYMMDD. For example, a birth date of August 12, 1946, would be 

encoded as 19460812. Date and time of birth are entered in the format YYYYMMDDHHMM 

which uses the 24 hour clock in the time component. For example, a birth at 10:30 pm 

on June 1, 1997, would be encoded as 199706012230. If age itself is recorded it is strongly 

recommended that the actual age be collected and if needed later collapsed into groups on 

analysis. If actual age is unknown, estimate to the nearest 10 years, whenever possible. Agegroup specific suicide rates show important differences in suicidal behavior. Suicide rates are 

highest among older adults aged >65 years compared to adolescents and young adults, but 

rates on nonfatal suicidal behavior are highest among the younger age groups and relatively 

low among older adults. 

Discussion: None. 

Repetition: No

Data Standards

or Guidelines: E1384-96 (American Society for Testing and Materials, 1996) and Health Level 7, Version 2.3 

(HL7, 1996). 

Other References: None. 

5. Race

Definition: Race is a concept used to differentiate population groups largely on the basis of physical 

characteristics transmitted by descent. Racial categories are neither precise nor mutually 

exclusive, and the concept of race lacks clear scientific definition. The common use of race in 

the United States draws upon differences not only in physical attributes, but also in ancestry 

and geographic origins. Since 1977, the federal government has sought to standardize data 

on race and ethnicity among its agencies through the Office of Management and Budget’s 

(OMB) Statistical Policy Directive Number 15: Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics 

and Administrative Reporting (OMB, 1978). Directive Number 15 standards were developed 

to meet federal legislative and program requirements, and they are used widely in the 

public and private sectors. The directive provides five basic racial categories but states that 

the collection of race data need not be limited to these categories. However, any additional 

reporting that uses more detail must be organized in such a way that the additional 

categories can be aggregated into the five basic groups. Although the directive does not 

specify a method of determining an individual’s race, OMB prefers self-identification to 

identification by an observer whenever possible. The directive states that persons of multiple 

racial origins should be coded using multiple categories, and not a multiracial category.

Uses: Data on a person’s race are used as a marker, proxy for a related factor such as socioeconomic status, in public health surveillance, and epidemiologic, clinical, and health 

services research. Patterns of suicidal behavior differ among certain US populations. For 

example using the traditional race categories, American Indians/Alaska Natives and 
32 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

African-Americans have their highest suicide rates among adolescents and young adults 

whereas other groups such as Asian-Americans have their highest rates among older adults.

Code Description 

1 American Indian or Alaskan Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples 

of North America, and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or 

community recognition. 

2 Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, 

the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, India, 

Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, or Vietnam. 

3 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples 

of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. 

4 Black. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. 

5 White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the 

Middle East. 

9 Unknown. 

Discussion: Although the biological significance of race has been scientifically questioned, data on race 

retain use, albeit limited, in public health surveillance and epidemiologic, clinical, and health 

services research.

Repetition: Yes 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Statistical Policy Directive Number 15: Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and 

Administrative Reporting (OMB, 1978), Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and 

Ethnicity (OMB, 1995), and E1633-96 (American Society for Testing and Materials, 1996). 

Other References: Core Health Data Elements (National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, 1996). 

6. Ethnicity

Definition: Ethnicity is a concept used to differentiate population groups on the basis of shared cultural 

characteristics or geographic origins. A variety of cultural attributes contribute to ethnic 

differentiation, including language, patterns of social interaction, religion, and styles of dress. 

However, ethnic differentiation is imprecise and fluid. It is contingent on a sense of group 

identity that can change over time and that involves subjective and attitudinal influences. 

Since 1977, the federal government has sought to standardize data on race and ethnicity 

among its agencies through the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Statistical 

Policy Directive Number 15: Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative 

Reporting (OMB, 1978). Directive Number 15 standards were developed to meet federal 

legislative and program requirements, and they are used widely in the public and private 

sectors. The directive provides two basic ethnic categories — Hispanic and Not of Hispanic 

Origin — but states that collection of ethnicity data need not be limited to these categories. 

However, any additional reporting that uses more detail must be organized in such a way 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 33

that the additional categories can be aggregated into the two basic groups. OMB prefers 

that data on race and ethnicity be collected separately. The use of the Hispanic category 

in a combined race/ethnicity data element makes it impossible to distribute persons 

of Hispanic ethnicity by race and, therefore, reduces the utility of the four basic racial 

categories by excluding from them persons who would otherwise be included. Although 

the directive does not specify a method of determining an individual’s ethnicity, OMB prefers 

self-identification to identification by an observer whenever possible. The directive states 

that persons of mixed ethnicity should use the single category that most closely reflects the 

individual’s recognition in his or her community. 

Uses: Data on a person’s ethnicity are used in person care, public health surveillance, and 

epidemiologic, clinical, and health services research. For example, differential risks for SDV, 

have been attributed at least partly to cultural acceptance of suicidal behavior which differs 

across ethnic groups. 

Code Description

1 Hispanic. A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other 

Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. 

2 Not of Hispanic Origin. Anyone with a known ethnicity not fitting the definition of Hispanic. 

9 Unknown. 

Discussion: Personal self-identification of ethnicity is preferable to observer-identification. Enter 9 if 

neither method yields an identification of ethnicity. 

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Statistical Policy Directive Number 15: Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and 

Administrative Reporting (OMB, 1978), Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race 

and Ethnicity (OMB, 1995), E1633-96 (American Society for Testing and Materials, 1996), and 

Core Health Data Elements (National Committee on Vital Health Statistics, 1996). 

Other References: None.

7. Marital status

Definition: Legal marital status of the person at the time when the incident occurred

Uses: Risk of SDV has been shown to vary by legal marital status.

Code Description 

1 Separated. A person legally separated. 

2 Divorced. A person divorced and not remarried.

3 Married. A person currently married (includes living together and not living together). 

Classify common-law marriage as married. 
34 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

4 Single/Never married. A person who has never been married or whose only marriages have 

been annulled. 

5 Widowed. A person widowed and not remarried. 

9 Unknown/not stated.

Discussion: Some unmarried partners may be cohabiting. In some states this may qualify as commonlaw marriage. 

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: CDC HISSB Common Data Elements Implementation Guide. 

Other References: None

8. Residence or address

Definition: Injured person’s normal place of residence

Uses: The address is useful for patient follow-up and billing. It also is used to determine the agency 

responsible for potential public health interventions and to link patient-specific data with 

census data so that incidence rates can be calculated. Some components of this element 

such as street address may not be necessary to collect, however in some jurisdictions suicide 

attempts are classified as a reportable condition to the health department which may 

warrant collecting information which enables the health authorities to locate the individual. 

To protect an individual’s privacy and confidentiality access to this data element must be 

limited to authorized personnel. 

The following order is the model:

Component 1 is the street address.

Component 2 is the second line of the address (e.g., apartment number).

Component 3 is the city.

Component 4 is the state or province.

Component 5 is the zip or postal code.

Component 6 is the country.

Component 7 is the type of address (e.g., mailing).

Component 8 is another geographic designation (e.g., catchment area ID).

Component 9 is the county/parish code.

Component 10 is the census tract

Discussion: This information probably is available from registration and billing record systems, in which 

addresses are routinely entered and stored. The naming convention used will be determined 

by the application area. It may be a region, state, village, community, or some appropriately 

defined physical area.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 35

Repetition: Yes, if the patient has more than one address. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Health Level 7, Version 2.3 (HL7, 1996). 

Other References: None. 

9. Education

Definition: The highest level of education within a formal system that a person has completed 

measured in years. 

Uses: Socioeconomic factors (such as education level, income, and occupation) are strong 

predictors of morbidity and mortality in the United States and many other countries, 

including those engaging in SDV. These data can be used to describe the relationship 

between socioeconomic factors and self-directed violence. 

“What is the highest grade of school the subject has completed, or the highest degree this 

person has received?”

Code Description

0 Less than 1st grade 

1-4 1st-4th grade 

5-8 5th-8th grade

9 9th grade

10 10th grade 

11 11th grade 

12 12th grade or high school graduate 

13-15 Some college or associate’s degree

16 Bachelor’s degree 

>16 More advanced than bachelor’s degree

Discussion: This standard should be consistent with standards from the Bureau of the Census. 

Education should be coded in a standard format to improve compatibility between systems 

and datasets. Individuals with foreign educations will map into this standard according to 

the UNESCO ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) referenced in this 

document.

Years of schooling - Highest grade of schooling completed by the person. For children under 

the age of 18, the individual’s status and the mother’s highest grade of schooling completed 

should be obtained.

Repetition: No.
36 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Core Health Data Elements (National Committee on Vital Health Statistics, 1996). 

Other References: Bureau of the Census Current Population Survey; Bureau of the Census Census 2000; National 

Center for Education Statistics (NCES) http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiip.html; United 

Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); International Standard 

Classification of Education (ISCED) http://unescostat.unesco.org/Documents/isced.asp; 

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS); E1384-96 (American Society for Testing and 

Materials, 1996) and Health Level 7, Version 2.3 (HL7, 1996).

10. Occupation

Definition: Description of person’s current work. 

Uses: Routine screening information concerning the person’s current job activity is used in clinical 

evaluation and management, and it is needed to assess the person’s eligibility for workers’ 

compensation benefits. Data on occupation and industry also are useful for public health 

surveillance and epidemiologic research. Some studies have shown that suicide rates differ 

by occupation but these studies often lack comparison groups. Occupation and industry 

together serve as a surrogate for a person’s socioeconomic status.

Each occupation in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is placed within 

one of these 23 major groups:

11-0000 Management Occupations

13-0000 Business and Financial Operations Occupations

15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations

17-0000 Architecture and Engineering Occupations

19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

21-0000 Community and Social Services Occupations

23-0000 Legal Occupations

25-0000 Education, Training, and Library Occupations

27-0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

29-0000 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations

33-0000 Protective Service Occupations

35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

37-0000 Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

39-0000 Personal Care and Service Occupations

41-0000 Sales and Related Occupations
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 37

43-0000 Office and Administrative Support Occupations

45-0000 Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations

49-0000 Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

51-0000 Production Occupations

53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

55-0000 Military Specific Occupations

98 Other Specified Occupation

99 Unspecified Occupation

Discussion: A succinct description of the person’s work can be used to encode occupation (or job title) 

and industry. Incorporating information about both occupation and industry is important, 

because similar occupations confer different health risks depending on the industry. 

For example, a painter in a shipyard is subject to different exposures than a painter in a 

residential setting. Occupation, combined with industry, is used frequently as an indicator 

of socioeconomic status. However, its use for this purpose requires linkage between specific 

occupation groups and socioeconomic status. The codes shown above illustrate only 

the major categories. More detailed codes exist within each major code. By comparison, 

the person’s educational level is a simple-to-use indicator of socioeconomic status, but 

occupation and industry are more routinely collected in Emergency Departments because 

of their clinical relevance. The 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is 

used by Federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the 

purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. All workers are classified into one 

of over 820 occupations according to their occupational definition. To facilitate classification, 

occupations are combined to form 23 major groups, 96 minor groups, and 449 broad 

occupations. Each broad occupation includes detailed occupation(s) requiring similar job 

duties, skills, education, or experience. For detailed information, coding instructions, and 

inclusions and exclusions, refer to http://stats.bls.gov/soc/soc_majo.htm.

Repetition: Yes; multiple entries in this field are appropriate if the person has more than one job. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Revising the Standard Occupational 

Classification System, June 1999, Report 929 http://stats.bls.gov/soc/socrpt929.pdf

Other References: None. 
38 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

11. Industry or Economic activity

Definition: The type of industry or business in which the injured person was working at the 

time of injury. 

Uses: Knowing the type of industry or business the injured person was working in can help 

employers and practitioners develop interventions that address work-related factors 

associated with SDV. For example, certain occupations may have access to highly lethal 

means for suicide which could be modified. For all injuries related to paid work, select the 

code that best describes the industry or business in which the injured person was involved.

Economic Activity: Overview of Codes 

11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

21 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

22 Utilities

23 Construction

31-33 Manufacturing

42 Wholesale Trade

44-45 Retail Trade

48-49 Transportation and Warehousing

51 Information

52 Finance and Insurance

53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

55 Management of Companies and Enterprises

56 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

61 Educational Services

62 Health Care and Social Assistance

71 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

72 Accommodation and Food Services

81 Other Services (except Public Administration)

92 Public Administration

Discussion: A summary description of the person’s work, identifying both occupation (or job title) and 

industry can be used to encode both occupation and industry. Incorporating information 

about both occupation and industry is important, because similar occupations confer 

different health risks depending on the industry. For example, a painter in a shipyard 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 39

is subject to different exposures than a painter in a residential setting. The Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Bureau of the Census have developed systems 

for encoding industry (OMB, 1987; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992). The National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health is developing and evaluating personal computer software to 

encode text entries for occupation and industry. 

Some existing economic activity codes are based on the International Standard Industrial 

Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Revision 3 (United Nations, 1990). The North 

American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by Federal statistical 

agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, 

and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. NAICS was developed 

under the auspices of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and adopted in 1997 to 

replace the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. It was developed jointly by the U.S. 

Economic Classification Policy Committee (ECPC), Statistics Canada and Mexico’s Instituto 

Nacional de Estadistica, Geografia e Informatica 

Repetition: Yes; multiple entries in this field are appropriate if the person works in more than one industry. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: U.S. Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) North American Industry Classification 

System (NAICS, pronounced Nakes) - 1997 North American Industry Classification System1987 Standard Industrial Classification Replacement; Notice. Vol. 62, No. 68, April 9, 1997

Other References: None.

12. Manner of injury

Definition: The role of human intent in the occurrence of the injury incident

Uses: Data describing the injury intent are used in immediate patient care and to arrange 

appropriate consultations and follow-up. For example, recognizing that an injured patient’s 

wounds were deliberately self-inflicted allows emergency physicians and nurses to take 

actions that prevent further self-destructive behavior, and establishing that a patient’s injury 

resulted from an assault can be instrumental in protecting the patient from future harm. 

Cumulative injury intent data are useful for public health surveillance, health care planning 

and administration, and clinical, health services, and epidemiologic research. 

Data Values:

Code Description

1 Unintentional (sometimes called “accidental” injuries) injury or poisoning that is not 

inflicted by deliberate means with the intent to harm and includes those injuries and 

poisonings described as an “accident,” regardless of whether the injury was inflicted by 

oneself or by another person. Includes person hitting wall with fist when angry with no 

intent to harm oneself. 

2 Self-directed violence (Includes fatal and non-fatal suicidal behavior and nonsuicidal behavior. 

Please see glossary for definition of intentional self-harm)
40 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

2a Suicidal self-directed violence 

Includes Interrupted by self and 

Interrupted by other 

2b Non-suicidal self-directed violence

3 Assault (Interpersonal violence, assaults, victim-precipitated assault, etc) Injury from an act of 

fatal or nonfatal violence where physical force by one or more persons is used with the intent 

of causing harm, injury, or death to another person; or an intentional poisoning by another 

person. Includes perpetrators, and intended and unintended (e.g., innocent bystanders) 

victims of violent acts.

4 Undetermined Available information is insufficient to make a distinction between 

unintentional injury event, self-directed violence, assault or other violence.

8 Other This may include:

8a Legal interventions Injury or poisoning caused by police or other legal authorities during law 

enforcement activities and includes injuries and poisonings inflicted during legal action or 

execution, or while attempting to enforce the law, such as an arrest or restraint of arrested person.

8b Operations of war and civil insurrection

8c Euthanasia

 9 Unspecified Injury resulting from unknown incident

Discussion: Injuries are the acute physical conditions which are listed in Chapter XIX of the Tenth Revision 

of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health-related Conditions 

(ICD-10) and which result from the external causes listed in Chapter XX (WHO, 1994). External 

cause of injury codes are also found in the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, 

Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) external cause-of-injury codes.

Further description of certain manners of injury may be included in the incident summary 

such as the circumstances of a victim-precipitated assault. This description should allow for 

better rationale for the use of a specific manner. 

Repetition: Yes, if two or more unrelated events cause separate injuries. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: World Health Organization. International Classification for External Causes of Injuries (ICECI): 

Guidelines for counting and classifying external causes of injuries for prevention and control. 

Consumer Safety Institute: Netherlands; 1998. 

Holder Y, Peden M, Krug E et al (Eds). Injury surveillance guidelines. Geneva, World Health 

Organization, 2001.

Other References: None.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 41

13. Place of occurrence

Definition: Type of place where the injury event occurred. 

Uses: Data on the type of place where an injury occurred help to describe the injury-producing 

event and are valuable for planning and evaluating injury prevention programs. Place 

of occurrence data help group injuries by areas of responsibility and may help injury 

prevention practitioners better target interventions and use resources more effectively. This 

information can also provide insight into injury etiology. For example, a grouping of SDV 

events occurring at a bridge may initiate an examination of environmental modifications 

that reduce risk of injury.

Code Description

10 Home

20 Residential institution

30 School, other institution, and public administrative area

40 Sports and athletic area

50 Street and highway 

60 Trade and service area

70 Industrial and construction area

80 Farm

88 Other specified place

99 Unspecified place

Discussion: Each broad location code shown above includes several more specific location descriptions. 

Place of occurrence usually has two coding levels, the second level being more detailed. Not 

all places, however, have a second coding level. NOTE: The codes represent where the injured 

person was when the injury event began, not when the injury event ended. For detailed 

information and coding instructions, refer to http://www.rivm.nl/who-fic/ICECI/ICECI_1-

2_2004July.pdf

Repetition: Yes, if two or more unrelated events cause separate injuries at separate locations. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision 

(World Health Organization, 1992).

Other References: ICECI Coordination and Maintenance Group (2004). International Classification of External 

Causes of Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2. Consumer Safety Institute, Amsterdam and AIHW 

National Injury Surveillance Unit, Adelaide.
42 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

14. Date/time of Injury Onset

Definition: Onset date and time of acute injury resulting from this incident. Date that injury event 

occurred. Code according to date format conventions of environment Example: YYYY/MM/

DD Time of the day that injury event occurred. If resources permit, capture actual time of 

injury event and use the 2400 hour clock.

Uses: Data that specify when an individual’s symptoms or complaints began are used by 

practitioners to triage, evaluate, and make diagnoses during a clinical encounter. This may 

be critical for an event of SDV poisoning for which an antidote may need to be administered 

within a certain time to be effective. In aggregate form, these data also support clinical, 

epidemiologic, and health services research by allowing for variation in risk by time of day, 

day of the week, season, etc..

Data values:

1 0000(Midnight) – 0059

2 0100 – 0159

3 0200 – 0259

4 0300 – 0359

5 0400 – 0459

6 0500 – 0559

7 0600 -- 0659

8 0700 – 0759

9 0800 – 0859

10 0900 – 0959

11 1000 – 1059

12 1100 – 1159

13 1200 -- 1259

14 1300 – 1359

15 1400 – 1459

16 1500 – 1559

17 1600 – 1659

18 1700 – 1759

19 1800 -- 1859

20 1900 – 1959

21 2000 – 2059
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 43

22 2100 – 2159

23 2200 – 2259

24 2300 – 2359

Discussion: Since some individuals delay seeking care, it is important to record as accurately as possible 

the actual time that the acute illness or injury occurred.

Repetition: No.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None.

Other References: E1744-95 (American Society for Testing and Materials, 1995).

Holder Y, Peden M, Krug E et al (Eds). Injury surveillance guidelines. Geneva, World Health 

Organization, 2001.

15. Nature of injury

Definition: The injury, real or suspected, which brought the injured person to the service. If more than 

one, select the most serious. Nature-of-injury codes are grouped according to the type of 

injury, e.g., fractures, intracranial injury, and open wound.

Uses: These categories allow for standardized retrieval of injury cases for epidemiological, clinical, 

and management oriented analyses. They can be used to characterize the patterns of injury 

using clinically meaningful diagnostic categories and may assist in determining the severity 

of the injury.

Data Values:

1 Fracture

2 Dislocation

3 Internal organ injury

4 Open wounds

5 Amputations

6 Blood vessels

7 Contusions/superficial

8 Crush

9 Burn

10 Effect of foreign bodies entering orifice

11 Other effects of external causes 

12 Poisoning 
44 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

13 Toxic effects

14 Multiple injuries 

15 Other specified injury 

16 Unspecified injury

Discussion: This element can be used for retrieval of injury events for epidemiologic analyses. It could be used 

to: characterize the patterns of injury resulting from diverse circumstances; serve as a standard for 

incident comparison across time and place; and, simplify the process of classifying injuries.

Repetition: No.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: L.A. Fingerhut and M. Warner, The ICD-10 Injury Mortality Diagnosis Matrix, Injury Prevention, 

2006;12;24-29. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ice/10_diamatrix.pdf

International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (World 

Health Organization, 1992).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended framework for presenting injury 

mortality data. MMWR 1997;46(No.RR-14):1-30. 

CDC. Clinical modification, (ICD-9-CM). In: International classification of diseases. 6th ed. 9th rev. 

Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2007. Available at http://

www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/ftpserv/ftpicd9/ftpicd9.htm. 

Other References: Miniño AM, Anderson RN, Fingerhut LA, Boudreault MA, Warner M. Deaths: Injuries, 2002. 

National vital statistics reports; vol 54 no 10. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health 

Statistics. 2006. 

Proceedings of the International Collaborative Effort (ICE) on Injury Statistics, Volume I. (PHS) 

95-1252. March 1995 (Edited by LA Fingerhut).

16. Mechanism of injury

Definition: How the injury was inflicted i.e. how the person was hurt. If more than one mechanism, record 

the most serious injury. If able to record more than one injury, place the injuries in order from 

most serious to least. 

Uses: The classification by mechanism characterizes the external agents or particular activities that 

caused the injury (e.g., motor vehicle, firearm, submersion, fall, and poisoning). The mechanisms 

of injury are important because evaluation research indicates that “passive protection” through 

modification of products and environments can be effective in reducing injury—regardless of 

intent. For example, interventions for pesticide poisoning-related suicidal behavior in certain 

regions have been shown to reduce the behavior. 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 45

Data Values:

1 Cut/Pierce

2 Drowning

3 Falls

4 Fire/burn, hot object/substance

5 Firearm

6 Machinery

7 All transportation (e.g., MV traffic, Pedal cyclist, Pedestrian, etc) 

8 Natural/ environmental (e.g, Bites/stings)

9 Overexertion

10 Poisoning

11 Struck by, against

12 Suffocation, strangulation, asphyxiation

13 Other

14 Unspecified

15 Adverse effects

99 Unknown

Discussion: Injuries are often the result of a sequence of events. Three types of objects/substances may 

be involved in the injury event:

- Underlying object/substance—the object/substance involved at the start of the injury event

- Direct object/substance—the object/substance producing the actual physical harm

- Intermediate objects/substances—other objects/substances involved in the injury event

Repetition: No.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision

(World Health Organization, 1992).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended framework for presenting injury 

mortality data. MMWR 1997;46(No.RR-14):1-30.

Other References: Proceedings of the International Collaborative Effort (ICE) on Injury Statistics, Volume I. 

 (PHS) 95-1252. March 1995 (Edited by LA Fingerhut).
46 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

17. Activity

Definition: What the injured person was doing at time of incident.

Uses: The type of activity at the time of injury helps to describe the circumstances of the 

injury-producing event and identify possible opportunities for prevention programs, 

policies, or strategies. Identification of work-related injuries serves multiple purposes. Better 

understanding of SDV that occurs while a person is on the job is needed. 

Data Values:

Code Description

 10 Sports. Comprises exercises with functional purpose (e.g., golf, jogging, riding, school sports 

and athletics, skiing, swimming, hiking, waterskiing). Includes activities described as a ball 

game, but excludes those described as play with ball.

 20 Leisure. Comprises activities with the purpose of entertainment or recreation (e.g., performing 

hobby activities or going to the theater, a dance, or a party). Includes activities described as 

play with ball, but excludes activities described as a ball game.

 30 Paid work. Comprises manual or professional work for salary, bonus, or other income. 

Includes: 

— apprentice and vocational activities 

— rest breaks on employer premises (in hallway, rest room, cafeteria, storage area) 

— work on, arrival at, or departure from employer parking lot 

— work for pay or compensation at home 

— work in family business, including family farm (activity should be clearly related 

to profit-oriented business) 

— traveling on business, including to and from customer/business contacts and 

work activities in which a vehicle is considered the work environment 

Excludes: 

— recreational activities on employer-controlled facilities 

— visits for non-work purposes, when not on official business 

— domestic activities by a homemaker 

— nonprofit work for oneself (e.g., mowing lawn, repairing roof, or performing hobby 

or recreational activities) 

— school activities by a student 

— vehicle use (personal or commercial) for non-work purposes 

— commute to or from work site 

— illicit work (e.g., drug trafficking) 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 47

40 Unpaid work. Comprises duties for which one would not normally gain an income. Includes 

volunteer work and domestic duties (e.g., caring for children and relatives, cleaning, cooking, 

gardening, and maintaining a household). Excludes learning activities (e.g., attending school 

or university).

50 Educational activity. Comprises learning activities (e.g., attending school or university). 

Excludes apprenticeship. 

60 Vital activity. Comprises resting, sleeping, eating, or engaging in other vital activities.

88 Other specified activity

99 Unknown activity

Discussion: None. 

Repetition: Yes, if a single injury cannot be described adequately with one activity code (e.g., police 

officer ingests overdose of non-prescription medication) or if injuries occur during separate 

activities (e.g., forearm laceration from non-suicidal SDV and head injury from crash on the 

way to hospital). 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Classifying Deaths as on the Job (Harshbarger and Stout, 1995), Draft: International Classification 

for External Cause of Injuries (World Health Organization Working Group on Injury Surveillance 

Methodology Development, 1995), and NOMESCO Classification of External Causes of Injury 

(Nordic Medico-Statistical Committee, 1996).

Other References: None. 

18. Alcohol use

Definition: Suspicion or evidence of alcohol use preceding the injury event by the injured person and/

or other persons involved in the injury event.

Uses: Alcohol use is a known risk factor for injuries including SDV. Therefore, it is important to 

collect information about the involvement of alcohol use in injury events. In some cases, 

quantitative biological information about alcohol use (e.g., blood or breath alcohol level) is 

available. In other cases, one may merely suspect alcohol use (e.g., if the patient smells of 

alcohol). This data element indicates whether there is either suspicion or evidence of alcohol 

use. No distinction is made between suspicion and evidence because criteria for each 

category are too difficult to define.

Alcohol Use: 

1 Suspected (by report or observation) or confirmed by biological evidence

2 No information available
48 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Discussion: Code this item for each injury case, regardless of the severity of injury, age of the injured 

person, or intent of the injury event. If more information is available (e.g., type of suspicion 

or evidence, characterization of others involved in the injury event), this detail can be added 

to the narrative summary. If possible include objective measure such as blood alcohol 

concentration.

Repetition: No.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Holder Y, Peden M, Krug E et al (Eds). Injury surveillance guidelines. Geneva, World Health 

Organization, 2001.

Other References: ICECI Coordination and Maintenance Group (2004). International Classification of External 

Causes of Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2. Consumer Safety Institute, Amsterdam and AIHW 

National Injury Surveillance Unit, Adelaide.

World Health Organization. International Classification for External Causes of Injuries (ICECI): 

Guidelines for counting and classifying external causes of injuries for prevention and control. 

Consumer Safety Institute: Netherlands; 1998. 

19. Other drug or psychoactive substance use

Definition: Suspicion or evidence of psychoactive drug use (e.g., opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, 

cannabinoids, sedatives, hypnotics) or other psychoactive substance use (eg., hair spray, 

gasoline, glue) preceding the injury event by the injured person and/or other persons 

involved in the injury event.

Uses: Use of psychoactive drugs or other substances is a known risk factor for injuries including 

SDV. Therefore, it is important to collect information about the involvement of drug use 

and other substance use in injury events. In some cases, biological quantitative information 

about drug or substance use (e.g., blood/urine drug level) is available. In other cases, one 

may merely suspect drug or substance use (e.g., because of the patient’s current behavior or 

history). This data element indicates whether there is either suspicion or evidence of alcohol 

use. No distinction is made between suspicion and evidence because criteria for each 

category are too difficult to define.

Psychoactive Drug or Substance Use: 

1 Suspected (by report or observation) or confirmed by biological evidence

2 No information available

Discussion: Code this item for each injury case, regardless of the severity of injury, age of the injured 

person, or intent of the injury event. If more information is available (e.g., type of suspicion 

or evidence, characterization of others involved in the injury event), this detail can be added 

to the narrative summary. If possible include objective measure such as blood or body fluid 

concentration.

Repetition: No.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 49

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: ICECI Coordination and Maintenance Group (2004). International Classification of External 

Causes of Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2. Consumer Safety Institute, Amsterdam and AIHW 

National Injury Surveillance Unit, Adelaide.

Other References: World Health Organization. International Classification for External Causes of Injuries (ICECI): 

Guidelines for counting and classifying external causes of injuries for prevention and control. 

Consumer Safety Institute: Netherlands; 1998.

20. Injury severity

Definition: State the clinical evaluation of the injury. Injury severity generally describes the impact of an 

injury in terms of the extent of tissue damage and/or the physiologic response of the body 

to that damage. 

Uses: These data are designed to quantify the type and severity of the injuries in a standard 

fashion, which allow providers to communicate in common terms. These data are used 

widely in injury research and in health care quality improvement processes. An assessment 

of severity based on the cumulative injuries suffered by the individual is preferred.

Data values:

1 No apparent injury

2 Minor, i.e. superficial injuries e.g. bruises, minor cuts

3 Moderate, requiring some skilled treatment e.g. fractures, sutures

4 Severe, requiring intensive medical/surgical management e.g. internal hemorrhage, 

punctured organs, severed blood vessels

Discussion: There are a number and variety of injury severity scales reflecting recognition that severity 

classification is critical for surveillance, epidemiological investigations and evaluations of 

programs and policies aimed at mitigating the impact of injury at both the individual and 

societal levels. 

Repetition: No.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None

Other References: Baker SP, O’Neill B, et al. (1974). “The injury severity score: a method for describing patients 

with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care.” J Trauma 14(3): 187-96. 

Gennarelli T, Wodzin E. (2005). The Abbreviated Injury Scale- 2005. Des Plaines, Il, Association 

for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine.

Beck, AT, Beck R, Kovacs M. (1975). Classification of suicidal behaviors: I.

Quantifying intent and medical lethality. American Journal of Psychiatry, 132(3), 285-287.
50 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

21. Disposition

Definition: Action or status after attendance at facility or person’s anticipated location or status following 

medical encounter usually outpatient visit.

Uses: Data on the disposition can be compared on demographics, various diagnostic categories 

or with data from steps in the person’s medical encounter to determine factors associated 

with the health outcome or serve as a proxy to describe the severity of the health problem. 

Disposition data are used in identifying and tracking trends. The following codes are 

recommended for encoding the disposition: 

Code Description

10 Discharged to home or self-care (routine discharge)

20 Transferred/discharged to another short-term general hospital for inpatient care

30 Transferred/discharged to skilled nursing facility

40 Transferred/discharged to intermediate care facility

50 Transferred/discharged to another type of institution for inpatient care or referred for 

outpatient services to another institution

60 Transferred/discharged to home under care of a home IV drug therapy provider

70 Transferred/discharged to home under care of certified home care provider/program

80 Left without receiving medical advice against leaving (includes left without being seen, 

eloped) 

90 Left after receiving medical advice against leaving (i.e., left AMA)

100 Placed in designated observation unit (not considered an in-person hospital admission)

110 Admitted to hospital floor bed

120 Admitted to intermediate care/telemetry unit

130 Admitted to intensive care unit

140 Admitted to operating room

150 Died

888 Other

999 Unknown

Users may expand this table to meet local needs for more detailed data. For example, 

disposition category 130 could be expanded as follows: 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 51

Code Description

131 Admitted to medical intensive care unit

132 Admitted to cardiac care unit

133 Admitted to surgical intensive care unit

134 Admitted to burn unit

135 Admitted to neonatal intensive care unit 

136 Admitted to pediatric intensive care unit 

Discussion : None. 

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None. 

Other References: Uniform Bill-92 (National Uniform Billing Committee, 1996) and E1744-95 (American Society 

for Testing and Materials, 1995).

22. Medical care received by individual 

Definition The medical health care received by the individual following the most recent SDV episode.

Uses Documents the medical health care received by the individual. May be useful in 

documenting the effect of SDV events on the medical care system and the range of services 

that individuals receive for their incidents.

Code Description

0 The individual was known not to have received any medical health care following the most 

recent SDV episode.

1 The individual received outpatient medical treatment (e.g., emergency room or physician 

office visit), not followed by inpatient medical health care, after the most recent SDV episode.

2 The individual received outpatient medical treatment (e.g., emergency room or physician 

office visit), followed by inpatient medical health care, after the most recent SDV episode.

3 The individual received outpatient medical treatment (e.g., emergency room or physician 

office visit), unknown if followed by inpatient medical health care, after the most recent 

SDV episode .

4 The individual received no outpatient medical health care (e.g., emergency room or 

physician office visit), but did receive inpatient medical health care, after the most recent 

SDV episode.

5 Unknown if the individual received outpatient medical health care (e.g., emergency room 

or physician office visit), but did receive inpatient medical health care, after the most 

recent SDV episode.
52 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

9 Unknown if the individual received any medical health care following the most recent 

SDV episode.

Discussion: In addition to documenting the individual’s medical care, this data element can be used as a 

proxy for injury severity, but it must be used in conjunction with other data elements.

Repetition: No.

If the individual died as a result of the SDV event then this data element should be used to 

indicate any medical care related to the most recent SDV prior to death.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None.

Other References: None.

23. Self-directed violence category

Definition: Assessment of the self-directed behavior

Uses: Self-directed violence (SDV) is behavior that deliberately results in injury or the potential 

for injury to oneself irrespective of suicidal intent. SDV encompasses a range of violent 

behaviors, including acts of fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior, and non-suicidal intentional 

self-injury (i.e., behaviors where the intention is not to kill oneself, as in self-mutilation). 

The assessment of which type of SDV a particular event represents is a crucial issue, which 

has implications on decisions for the individual, his/her family, and society regarding 

prevention and treatment. The data from this element can help practitioners identify 

unique circumstances that put individuals at risk for the various types of SDV and guide 

development of appropriate prevention strategies. The data are also useful for public health 

surveillance, health care planning and administration, and clinical, health services, and 

epidemiologic research. Research that definitively characterizes specific categories of SDV is 

needed to establish the utility of potential interventions.

Data Values:

Code Description

1 Non-suicidal self-directed violence

(Other terms include self-harm, self mutilation, self cutting, self battery) 

1a Non-fatal non-suicidal SDV (sucide attempt)

Including interrupted by self and interrupted by other 

1b Fatal non-suicidal SDV

2 Suicidal self-directed violence. (Includes fatal and non-fatal suicidal SDV)

2a Non-fatal suicidal SDV

Including interrupted by self and interrupted by another and suicide attempt 

2b Fatal suicidal SDV (sucide)
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 53

3 Undetermined self-directed violence 

(SDV with suicidal intent undetermined) 

(Includes fatal and non-fatal undetermined SDV)

3a Non-fatal undetermined SDV

Including interrupted by self and interrupted by another 

3b Fatal undetermined SDV

Discussion: The assessment in this element is based on the best available evidence to the recorder of the 

victim’s behavior. 

Certain types of SDV events are more difficult to categorize. For example, poisoning 

events may be suicidal or undetermined. In some settings, such as hospital emergency 

departments, the priority may be treating the injury and not collecting information on the 

events leading up to the incident. Though ideally the information should be elicited from 

the person who sustained the injury, data collectors may need to solicit information from 

other sources such as family members or acquaintances of the injured person or other 

organizations like law enforcement or social service agencies.

Sensitivity, and confidentiality must be exercised in collecting information from persons who 

have already undergone trauma from a violent event. Persons who gather injury information 

must be empathetic and well-trained. 

Further description of certain manners of injury may be included in the incident summary 

such as the circumstances of a victim-precipitated assault. This description should allow for 

better rationale for the use of a specific manner. 

Repetition: Yes, if two or more unrelated events cause separate injuries. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None.

Other References: De Leo D, Burgis S, Bertolote JM, Kerkhof AJFM, Bille-Brahe U. Definitions of suicidal behavior: 

Lessons learned from the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis 

Intervention and Suicide Prevention. 2006; 27:4-15.

Posner K, Oquendo MA, Gould M, Stanley B, Davies M. Columbia Classification Algorithm of 

Suicide Assessment (C-CASA): Classification of Suicidal Events in the FDA’s Pediatric Suicidal 

Risk Analysis of Antidepressants. Am J Psychiatry. 2007; 164:1035-1043.
54 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

24. Suicidal thoughts at time of injury

Definition: Record individual’s acknowledgment of his/her perception of outcome as a result of their 

behavior. 

Uses: Detecting and measuring the existence, or intensity of an individuals’ specific attitudes, behaviors, 

and plans to commit suicide may influence the intervention strategy. This information is 

necessary to distinguish a suicide attempt from non-suicidal self-directed violence.

How did the patient describe his/her intent to the staff, other people, or in a (suicide) note?

Code Description 

(Please indicate the most severe intent, e.g. intent to die before intent to injure oneself. 

Using the coding scheme below 1>2>3>4>5 or 6 [5=6] )

1 “Intent to die” described 

2 “Intent to injure oneself but not die” described

3 “Intent to escape” described 

4 Other intent described (e.g. intent to attract attention)

Please specify: _______________________________________

5 Intent unclear

9 Unknown or no information

Discussion: Suicidal thoughts can be a risk factor for subsequent fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior and 

are sometimes associated with other disorders. In general suicidal thoughts do not focus 

upon the actual suicide process. Suicidal planning involves a much higher complex cognitive 

process. Those who actually engage in suicide planning that may require more extensive 

evaluation and/or intervention.

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None 

Other References: None

25. Risk-Rescue rating

Definition: A term used in assessing a suicide act that indicates the degree to which the situation 

allowed for the possibility of intervention by others to prevent death.

Uses: This scale is a descriptive and quantitative method of assessing the lethality of SDV. There 

are five risk and five rescue factors which are defined, weighted and scored. Documentation 

of the circumstances surrounding an incident may assist in developing and evaluating 

preventive interventions.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 55

Risk factors (numbers = scoring points)

A. Risk mechanism: 

1. Ingestion, cutting, stabbing

2. Drowning, asphyxiation, strangulation

3. Jumping, shooting

B. Risk impaired consciousness:

1. None in evidence

2. Confusion, semicoma

3. Coma, deep coma

C. Risk lesions/toxicity:

1. Mild

2. Moderate

3. Severe

D. Risk reversibility:

1. Good, complete recovery expected

2. Fair, recovery expected with time

3. Poor, residual expected, if recovery

E. Risk treatment required:

1. First aid, outpatient

 Includes hospital emergency dept

2. Hospital admission, routine in-patient care

3. Intensive care, special treatment

Total risk points ______

Risk score

High risk: 13-15 risk points

High moderate: 11-12 risk points

Moderate: 9-10 risk points

Low moderate: 7-8 risk points

Low risk: 5-6 risk points 
56 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Rescue factors (numbers = scoring points)

A. Rescue location: 

 3. Familiar

 2. Non-familiar, non remote

 1. Remote

B. Rescue person initiating rescue:

 3. Key person (knows or is known by the subject)

 2. Professional

 1. Passerby

C. Rescue probability of discovery by any rescuer

 3. High, almost certain

 2. Uncertain discovery

 1. Accidental discovery

D. Rescue accessability to rescue:

 3. Asks for help

 2. Drops clues

 1. Does not ask for help

E. Rescue delay until discovery:

 3. Immediate <1 hour

 2. > 1hour but < 4 hours

 1. > 4 hours

Total rescue points ______

Rescue score*

Least rescuable: 5-7 rescue points

Low moderate: 8-9 rescue points

Moderate: 10-11 rescue points

High moderate: 12-13 rescue points

Most rescuable: 14-15 rescue points 

Self rescue automatically yields a rescue score of 5 

The risk-rescue rating is determined by the formula risk score/risk score + rescue score. Scores range from 17 to 83. 

Low= 17-39, Moderate=40-59, High=60-83. 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 57

Discussion: A description of the lethality characteristics of self-directed violence can help clinicians and 

researchers communicate efficiently about the similarities and differences of the behaviors 

under study. There are various ways of defining lethality. However a complete appraisal of 

lethality should only partially be based on any kind of rating or scale, a more comprehensive 

assessment of the physical, psychological, and social characteristics of the individual and his 

or her environment is required.

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None.

Other References: Weissman, A. D., & Worden, J. W. (1972). Risk-rescue rating and suicide assessment. Archives of 

General Psychiatry. 1972; 26: 553–560.

26. Medical/Somatic history

Definition: Has individual ever experienced or been diagnosed by a health care professional with a 

somatic or physical illness or injury.

Uses: There is limited information on the association of non-mental health diseases or injuries with 

SDV. Collection of this variable would be helpful in documenting whether certain conditions 

are associated with an increase or reduction in risk for SDV especially chronic diseases or 

conditions and traumatic injuries. These data are also needed for continuity of care, and 

they are useful for quality-of-care monitoring, public health surveillance, and clinical, health 

services, and epidemiologic research. 

Code Description

0 No 

1 Yes, if yes, record actual illness(es) 

8 Not applicable

9 Unknown/not stated 

Can describe specific illness within the following organ system categories:

- Cardiovascular - Urinary

- Nervous - Musculoskeletal

- Respiratory - Dermatological

- Digestive - Infectious disease

- Endocrine - Immunological

- Reproductive
58 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Discussion: A clinician’s reported diagnosis is the basis for diagnostic coding and classification. In most 

instances, a clinical description will provide more detail than a diagnostic code and its 

associated rubric. Practitioners and other authorized data users may need to read unaltered 

text or search it electronically for words or phrases of interest. 

Repetition: Yes 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS). 

Other References: Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services: Health Information Policy 

Council: 1984 Revision of the Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set. Federal Register, Volume 

50, No. 147. July 31, 1985.

27. Psychiatric history

Definition: Has individual ever been diagnosed by a health care professional with a mental health 

condition and/or has a current diagnosis.

Uses: Biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors all have a major impact on the risk of 

suicidal behavior. Studies have estimated that a large percentage of suicide decedents have 

symptoms or a diagnosis consistent with mental illness and/or alcohol and substance misuse 

disorder. 

Code Description

0 No

1 Yes,

 if yes, record actual diagnosis(es) and whether individual is under current treatment 

8 Not applicable

9 Unknown/not stated 

Can use the following categories though this list is not comprehensive 

- Depression 

- Bipolar disorder 

- Schizophrenia 

- Anxiety disorder 

- Post-traumatic stress disorder

- Alcohol or substance abuse disorder 

- Other (specify) 
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 59

Discussion: Estimates of lifetime risk of suicide for mental illness show that a majority of people with 

mental illness don’t die of suicide. This confirms that suicidal behavior results from an 

interaction of factors not just mental illness so other categories of factors should also be 

collected. Current diagnosis should also be included in this category. 

Repetition: Yes 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS). 

Other References: Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services: Health Information Policy 

Council: 1984 Revision of the Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set. Federal Register, Volume 

50, No. 147. July 31, 1985.

28. Previous nonfatal self-directed violence

Definition: Record actual number of previous events of suicidal or non-suicidal self-directed violence. 

This applies to events where an action occurred, not thoughts only. 

Uses: Number of events may be used to estimate the human and economic cost of this behavior. 

Code Description

0 Individual has engaged in 0 events of SDV 

1 Individual has engaged in 1-2 events of SDV ever.

2 Individual has engaged in 3-5 events of SDV ever.

3 Individual has engaged in 6-10 events of SDV ever.

4 Individual has engaged in 10 or more events of SDV ever.

9 Unknown how many events of SDV have occurred.

If there has been more than one SDV event, the code should reflect the total of all events.

Discussion: A history of one or more incidents of self-directed violence is a risk factor for subsequent fatal 

and nonfatal suicidal behavior.

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None 

Other References: None
60 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

29. Past suicidal thoughts or ideation

Definition: Record individual’s acknowledgment of previous suicidal ideation. 

Uses: Detecting and measuring the existence, or intensity of an individuals’ specific attitudes, 

behaviors, and plans to commit suicide may influence the intervention strategy. 

Code Description 

Yes If yes, could record its chronological proximity to the most recent self-directed violent 

behavior, include whether the person made a specific plan for carrying out the self-harm act.

Chronological proximity:

1 within past 24 hours

2 > 24 hrs less than 7 days

3 7 days – 13 days

4 14 days – 27 days

5 28 days – 180 days (approximately 1 month to 6 months)

6 >180 days – 364 days (just over 6 months to slightly less that 1 year)

7 365+ (greater that 1 year)

Plan:

1 The individual reports outlining a plan to methodically take his or her life.

2 No reported plan

No No known history 

Unknown Unknown

Discussion: Suicidal thoughts can be a risk factor for subsequent fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior and 

are sometimes associated with other disorders. In general suicidal thoughts do not focus 

upon the actual suicide process. Suicidal planning involves a much higher complex cognitive 

process. Those who actually engage in suicide planning that may require more extensive 

evaluation and/or intervention.

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None 

Other References: None
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 61

30. Family history

Definition: Have family members ever been diagnosed by a health care professional with a somatic 

or psychiatric condition or suicidal behavior. Emphasis of documentation should be on 

immediate family. Immediate family includes spouse, parents and grand parents, children 

and grand children, brothers and sisters, mother-in-law and father-in-law, brothers-in-law 

and sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Adopted and step members are also 

included in immediate family.

Uses: Research has established associations between parental psychopathology and their 

offspring’s suicidal behavior. There is also limited evidence to suggest that a family history 

of suicidal behavior is associated with increased risks of suicidal behavior among a variety of 

relatives. This element can be used to identify factors connected to self-directed violence risk.

Code Description

0 No 

1 Yes (If yes, record actual illness(es) and the relationship.) 

8 Not applicable

9 Unknown/not stated 

The following categories can be used for family members: 

Adopted Son Great Grandfather Stepfather

Adopted Daughter Great Grandmother Stepmother

Aunt Half-brother Stepsister

Brother Half-sister Stepson

Brother-In-Law Husband Uncle

Cousin Mother - Adoptive Unrelated, Friend

Daughter Mother - Biological Ward

Daughter-In-Law Mother-In-Law Wife

Father - Adoptive Nephew Other (specify) 

Father - Biological Niece

Father-In-Law Sister

Foster Child Sister-In-Law

Granddaughter Son

Grandfather Son-In-Law

Grandmother Stepbrother

Grandson Stepdaughter
62 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Discussion: Health conditions that exist in an individual’s family could indicate a predisposition for the 

same or similar conditions in the person.

Repetition: Yes 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: Relationship categories - ASTM E1633 (American Society for Testing and Materials), X12 

(American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Committee X12), NCVHS 

(National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics), Bureau of the Census - 

Current Population Survey

Other References: None

31. Sexual Orientation

Definition: The sexual preference of the individual. 

Uses: Adding these questions will help identify and monitor progress toward reducing disparities. 

Sexual orientation can be an important factor in health outcomes. Studies have shown that 

people who identify themselves within certain categories of sexual orientation tend to have 

different socialization, expectations, and lifestyles. Certain groups as a result of identifying 

their orientation are differentially exposed to stigma, discrimination, and other factors 

that affect and interact with health. Studies of nonfatal suicidal behavior have found an 

increased occurrence of this behavior among those who identify as homosexual, bisexual or 

transgender. 

Data Values Do you consider yourself to be? 

Code Description 

1 Heterosexual 

2 Homosexual 

3 Bisexual

4 Transgender

5 Or something else?

Specify _________________

9 Unknown/not stated.

Discussion: Sexual orientation has been discussed as two definitional components: the psychological 

component and the behavioral component. Definitions of the psychological component 

may include the terms “sexual attraction”, “sexual interest”, or “sexual preference.” 

Definitions of the behavioral component are often described with terms such as “sexual 

intercourse” or “sexual contact”. Each one of these presents challenges for those collecting 

data. For example, how should each of these terms be defined and how should they be 

operationalized for measurement?
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 63

The data element listed above addresses the issue of sexual identity but not behavior. 

Personal self-identification of sexual orientation is preferable to observer-identification. Enter 

9 if neither method yields an identification of sexual orientation. 

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

(NHANES)

Other References: Sell RL, Becker JB. Sexual Orientation Data: Inclusion in Health Information Systems Used to 

Monitor HP2010. American Journal of Public Health. 2001;91(6):876-82. 

National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) as described in: Citation: Mosher WD, Chandra A, 

Jones J. Sexual behavior and selected health measures: Men and women 15-44 years of age, 

United States, 2002 . Advance data from vital and health statistics; no 362. Hyattsville, MD: 

National Center for Health Statistics. 2005.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), CDC as described in San Francisco 

Department of Public Health AIDS Office. San Francisco HIV Behavioral Risk Factor 

Telephone Survey. 1998. Accessed on 7 November 2008 from http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/PHP/

RptsHIVAIDS/new_brfs.pdf.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System as described in Garofalo R, Wolf RC, Kessel S, Palfrey 

J, DuRant R. The Association Between Health Risk Behaviors and Sexual Orientation Among 

a School-based Sample of Adolescents. Pediatrics. 1998:101(5), 895-902

32. Military service 

Definition: A person who has served or is currently serving in the armed forces. If resources permit, 

capture specific information about military service such as actual length of time served, 

which branch (e.g., Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines), and experiences (e.g., combat, 

international travel).

Uses: Military service can have an influence on an individual’s health through recruitment, 

training, tours of duty, exposure to combat and adjustment to military culture. Military 

service can also affect the health of the military person’s family through economic and 

social means. Veteran status, including the period of military service, can be used to 

measure the needs of veterans and to evaluate the impact of military service on health care 

needs. These data are needed to conduct policy analysis, program planning, and budgeting 

for federal veterans’ programs and for reports to Congress on state projections of veterans’ 

facilities and services.
64 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Data values:

A. Has this person ever served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, military Reserves, or National Guard? Active

duty does not include training for the Reserves or National Guard, but DOES include activation, for example, for the 

Persian Gulf War. 

1 Yes, now on active duty 

2 Yes, on active duty in past, but not now 

3 No, training for Reserves or National Guard only 

4 No, never served in the military

B. When did this person serve on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces? Mark for EACH period in which this person served. 

1 April 1995 or later 

2 August 1990 to March 1995 (including Persian Gulf War) 

3 September 1980 to July 1990 

4 May 1975 to August 1980 

5 Vietnam era (August 1964—April 1975) 

6 February 1955 to July 1964 

7 Korean conflict (June 1950—January 1955) 

8 World War II (September 1940—July 1947) 

9 Some other time (please specify)

C. In total, how many years of active-duty military service has this person had? 

1 Less than 2 years 

2 2 years or more (if possible specify the exact number of years)

Discussion: This standard should be consistent with standards from the Bureau of the Census. At state 

and county levels, veteran status is used for budgeting and program planning for medical 

services for veterans. Veteran status is used as one factor to determine the segments of the 

population who may not be receiving needed medical services.

Repetition: No.

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 questionnaire. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiip.

html;http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-22.pdf, and www.census.gov/prod/

cen2000/doc/sf3.pdf

Other References: Bureau of the Census. Current Population Survey, September 2003: Veterans Supplement, 

Technical Documentation CPS-03 (Census Bureau, 2004); 

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Survey of Veterans (NSV) http://www1.va.gov/

vetdata/docs/survey_final.htm. US Census American Community Survey Veteran status and 

period of military service asked 1840, 1890, 1910, since 1930). http://www.census.gov/acs/

www/SBasics/SQuest/QbyQfact/veteran.pdf
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 65

33. Proximal risk factors

Definition: Data element that describes the most recent crises that led to the self-harm incident. 

Summarizes external circumstances believed to have played a role in precipitating the 

suicidal behavior. Select all that apply and indicate the one which is most closely connected 

to the event.

Uses: Documentation of the circumstances surrounding an incident may assist in developing and 

evaluating preventive interventions. Identification of suicidal behaviors that follow an acute 

life crisis (such as a suicide committed immediately after an arrest) may indicate some level of 

impulsivity in the suicide act. 

Data values:

Code Description 

1 Physical health problem (e.g. terminal disease, debilitating condition) 

2 Intimate partner problem (e.g. divorce, breakup, discord) 

3 Other relationship problem (e.g. family argument) 

4 Job problem (e.g. layoff, problems at work, job pressure) 

5 School problem (e.g. failure, academic pressure, bullying) 

6 Financial problem (e.g. bankruptcy, debts, foreclosure) 

7 Recent suicide of friend or family member 

8 Other death of friend or family member 

9 Criminal legal problem (e.g. recent or impending arrest, police pursuit, recently committed 

crime, currently in jail, impending criminal court date) 

10 Other or unspecified legal problems (e.g. custody dispute, civil lawsuit) 

11 Perpetrator of interpersonal violence (specify type such as intimate partner, child 

maltreatment, sexual violence, etc.)

12 Victim of interpersonal violence (specify type such as intimate partner, child maltreatment, 

sexual violence, etc.)

13 Crisis within two weeks of injury 

14 Other: Specify_________________________________________________________

15 Unknown
66 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Discussion: Medical examiners’ and coroners’ reports and police incident reports often include detail on 

the circumstances that contributed to self directed violence. While this information is not 

consistently documented, the data element is being treated as an important one to underline 

the need for coroners, medical examiners, and police to document this information. 

Repetition: Yes. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: ICECI Coordination and Maintenance Group (2004). International Classification of External 

Causes of Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2. Consumer Safety Institute, Amsterdam and AIHW 

National Injury Surveillance Unit, Adelaide.

Other References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Violent Death Reporting System 

(NVDRS) Coding Manual [Online].(2003). National Center for Injury Prevention and 

Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). Available from: 

http:// www.cdc.gov/injury

34. Protective factors

Definition: Summarizes internal or external factors that interact with a risk factor to reduce or nullify its 

effect among at-risk individuals or populations. Select all that apply. 

Uses: Research has found that many successful interventions both reduce risk factors and 

promote protective factors. Focusing on promoting protective factors is a more productive 

approach than reducing risk factors alone due to the following: protective factors are positive 

attributes that strengthen all families, not just those at risk; these factors are usually attributes 

that individuals and families themselves want to improve which often provides more 

motivation to participate.

Based on the best information available, describe the contextual factors. This axis can 

be coded multiple times in order to fully describe the contextual factors that may have 

prevented self-directed violence. Record the factors listed as present, absent, or unknown. 

Categories and sub-types:

A. Personal resources such as: 

1 Positive/resilient temperament

2 Social competency and problem-solving skills

3 Perception of social support from adults and peers

4 Positive expectations/optimism for the future
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 67

B. Community resources or relationships such as: 

 5 Bonding or connectedness to family

 6 Bonding or connectedness to school (attachment to teachers, belief, commitment)

 7 Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults (for adolescents)

 8 Integration into social networks

 9 Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self preservation

10 Quality and access to social services and health care 

C. Other: Specify_________________________________________________________________________

Discussion: This classification is an exploratory classification among the data elements. Less is known 

about the relationship between self-directed violence some of the factors listed in the 

classification. Therefore, data collected by using this classification may contribute to generate 

hypotheses to elucidate these relationships. 

Protective factors are believed to operate in three ways: buffering risk factors so that they 

provide a cushion against negative effects; by interrupting the processes through which 

risk factors operate; or by preventing the initial occurrence of a risk factor. Fewer studies 

have been done on protective factors than on risk factors, so many have not been identified 

making this information somewhat harder to collect. 

Personal self report by the subject for this element is preferred. However, the information 

may need to collected from a proxy of the subject if the subject is unable to respond. 

Repetition: Yes. If person has one or more protective factor, record all that apply and specify which type. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None.

Other References: Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour: a Literature Review. Joanne 

McLean, Margaret Maxwell, Stephen Platt, Fiona Harris, Ruth Jepson.Scottish Government 

Social Research. Edinborough. 2008. Accessed on 10 December 2008 at http://www.

scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/28141444/0

Beautrais AL, Collings SCD, Ehrhardt P, et al. 2005. Suicide Prevention: A review of evidence 

of risk and protective factors, and points of effective intervention. Wellington: New Zealand 

Ministry of Health. 
68 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

35. Incident summary

Definition: Brief description of injury incident that precipitated the current event. A free text field 

that describes the circumstances surrounding the incident. It should capture information 

not collected under the other elements. For example, it should answer questions like the 

following:

“What were you doing at the time of the incident?”

“What were you feeling emotionally at the time of the incident?” 

“What were you expecting to happen as a result of your action?”

“How did it happen?”

“How did you hurt yourself?” 

“Who discovered what happened?”

“How did you get help?” 

Uses: Data describing the cause of injury are used in evaluating and treating individual patients, 

and these data are useful for public health surveillance and clinical and epidemiologic 

research. This element should be a concise text description of the injury-producing event 

or circumstance, including the mechanism by which bodily harm was produced and what 

the patient was doing when injured. Specify the agent or class of agents in poisonings, toxic 

exposures, and adverse drug reactions. 

Examples:

Individual ties a rope around his neck and attempts to hang self while incarcerated after 

arrest for intoxicated driving. Feeling despondent due to possible loss of job and did not 

want to live. Was discovered by corrections officer. 

Person ingests more than recommended dosage of medication. Had argued with boyfriend 

that afternoon. After taking pills called boyfriend and told him about ingestion. He notified 

emergency medical services. 

Motor vehicle driver crashes into bridge support. Found unconscious by passing motorist 

who called police. 

 Discussion: This data element is intended for use in describing the injury that led to the clinical 

encounter, and its intended use encompasses initial treatments, treatments of injury 

sequelae (late effects), patient transfers from other health care facilities, and referrals from 

elsewhere within the hospital. This information is not intended for use in a scheduled return 

visit following initial treatment (e.g., suture removal). Researchers can use the injury incident 

description in two ways: 1) they can read unaltered text or search it electronically for words 

or phrases of interest; 2) they can apply injury coding and classification systems to existing 

text entries.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 69

Repetition: No. 

Data Standards 

or Guidelines: None.

Other References: None.

References (general surveillance or injury surveillance)

ASTM. E1384-96: Standard Guide for Content and Structure of the Computer-Based Patient Record. West Conshohocken, 

Pennsylvania: ASTM, 1996. 

ASTM. E1633-96: Standard Specification for Coded Values Used in the Computer-Based Patient Record. West Conshohocken, 

Pennsylvania: ASTM, 1996. 

ASTM. E1744-95: Standard Guide for View of Emergency Medical Care in the Computerized Patient Record. West Conshohocken, 

Pennsylvania: ASTM, 1995. 

Holder Y, Peden M, Krug E et al (Eds). Injury surveillance guidelines. Geneva, World HealthOrganization, 2001.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 2995-83 Information Processing — Representation of SI and Other 

Units in Systems with Limited Character Sets. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO, 1983. 

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Data elements for emergency department systems, release 1.0. 

Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997. 

World Health Organization. International Classification for External Causes of Injuries (ICECI): Guidelines for counting and 

classifying external causes of injuries for prevention and control. Consumer Safety Institute: Netherlands; 1998.

Other resources on data elements 

Duke University Medical Center Information Center Home Page

 http://www.mcis.duke.edu/

Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes(LOINC)

 http://www.mcis.duke.edu/standards/HL7/termcode/loinclab/loinc.html

Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)

 http://www.mcis.duke.edu/standards/government-organizations/hcfa.htm

ANSI X12

 http://www.mcis.duke.edu/standards/X12N/x12.htm

 Health Level 7 (HL7)

 http://www.hl7.org

 National Standards Systems Network (NSSN) - Search for standards 

 http://www.nssn.org/
70 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

 National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS)

 http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/NCVHS/

 X12 Implementaton Guides 

 http://www.wpc-edi.com/pubs.cfm?pub=001

 U.S. Census 

 http://www.census.gov/

 American National Standards Institute(ANSI)

 http://www.ansi.org/

 Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA) - X12 

 http://www.disa.org/

 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO Standard 3166 - Countries 

 http://www.hike.te.chiba-u.ac.jp/ikeda/ISO/home.html

 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)

 http://www.amia.org/

 Medical Records Institute (MRI)

 http://www.medrecinst.com/

 Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine (SNOMED)

http://snomed.org/
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 71
72 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 73
74 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 75

Vignettes

Vignettes

Vignettes are brief descriptions of events or situations to which the reader is asked to react. The descriptions, which 

can either be fictitious or based on fact, are structured to elicit information about the reader’s perceptions, opinion, 

attitudes, or knowledge about some phenomenon. The following vignettes are descriptions of hypothetical persons in 

a particular situation which the reader is asked to evaluate to determine which SDV term fits best. 

The purpose of these vignettes is multifaceted, for example they can provide an opportunity for the reader to engage in 

self-assessment on understanding of the material, compare responses to the writers, or generate questions about how a 

solution was determined. Further, the vignettes can help contextualize the definitions to which the situation is linked.

These vignettes are adapted from training materials developed by Drs. Morton Silverman and Lisa Brenner for the 

Department of Veterans Affairs’ project for developing a Suicide and Self-Harm Classification System Clinical Tool and 

materials developed by Dr. Kelly Posner for the Columbia Classification Algorithm of Suicide Assessment (C-CASA) and 

used by permission of the authors. 

Vignette Terms (please circle the correct term)

1. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, a client 

goes to meet with the oncology nurse regarding her 

chemotherapy regime. Seeing that she is tearful and 

seemingly depressed, the nurse inquires whether or not 

she has been feeling suicidal. The client indicates that 

she has had thoughts, but before she can fully respond 

to the question, she begins crying uncontrollably. 

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

2. The patient stated that she experienced heartbreak 

over the “loss of a guy” a week before the interview. 

She stated that she took four clonazepam, called a 

girlfriend, and talked/cried it out while on the phone. 

She was dismissive of the seriousness of the attempt, 

but indicated that she wanted to die at the time she 

took the overdose.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined
76 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Vignette Terms (please circle the correct term)

3. The patient was feeling extremely guilty and felt he 

deserved to die. He held a gun to his head. Just before 

he pulled the trigger, his wife came in the room and 

pulled the gun from his hand.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

4. After months of expressing the desire to end her own 

life, a client maneuvered around barriers and jumped to 

her death from a very tall building.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

5. After a long argument with his wife, a client with 

previous suicidal behaviors left the house and went 

to a bar where he drank heavily. He then got in his car, 

drove erratically, and broke the speed limit. He called his 

wife on the way home, and they shouted at each other 

briefly before he hung up. Shortly thereafter, his car 

hit a pole. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital 

where he was unconscious and could not answer 

questions about what happened and why.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 77

Vignette Terms (please circle the correct term)

6. The patient wanted to escape from her mother’s home. 

She researched lethal doses of ibuprofen. She took 

six ibuprofen pills and said she felt certain from her 

research that this amount was not enough to kill her. 

She stated she did not want to die, only to escape from 

her mother’s home. She was taken to the emergency 

room where her stomach was pumped and she was 

admitted to a psychiatric ward.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

7. A former Navy pilot has bipolar disorder and is 

delusional in the midst of a mixed episode. Friends 

report that he has been rambling about themes of 

religious self-sacrifice, and the need to atone for the sins 

of the world. The client is found dead after falling to his 

death from the roof of his apartment building.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

8. During pill count on the hospital ward, the staff 

discovered that six tablets were missing. Upon 

questioning, the patient admitted that she was saving 

them up so she could take them all together at a later 

time in order to kill herself. 

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined
78 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Vignette Terms (please circle the correct term)

9. A patient is receiving inpatient rehabilitation after a 

lower limb amputation. His Rehabilitation Psychologist 

has noted that he has become decreasingly engaged 

in therapies and asked about his current level of 

suicidality. He responds that he has been thinking 

about hanging himself with his bed sheets.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

10. A man was feeling very depressed, and he wanted to 

die. He went to the roof to jump off. He changed his 

mind about wanting to die once he got to the roof, 

and he came down.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

11. The patient was feeling ignored. She went to the 

kitchen where her mom and sister were talking, took 

a knife out of the drawer, and made a cut on her arm. 

She denied that she wanted to die at all. She said she 

just wanted them to pay attention to her.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 79

Vignette Terms (please circle the correct term)

12. As the level of conflict between a client and his 

girlfriend escalated, he said, “Maybe you’d be better off 

if I shot myself.” When she asked him what he meant 

or what he might do, he paused and then said “I don’t 

know, but I want us to stop fighting.”

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

13. A client is drinking to excess near a lake with a group 

of friends on Labor Day. He and a buddy decide to 

“swim it off” (something that has “worked” before) so 

that he can drive home sober. He gets disoriented and 

exhausted and drowns.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

14. A very intoxicated client is brought to the emergency 

room by the police who found him walking beside a 

busy road. When asked about whether or not he was 

feeling suicidal, the client mumbled, “I am so tired of 

everything.” He then passed out.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined
80 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Vignette Terms (please circle the correct term)

15. A man put a gun to his head because he wanted to kill 

himself. He pulled the trigger, and the gun failed to fire.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

16. A patient had a big fight with her ex-husband. She took 

15-20 imipramine tablets and went to sleep. She woke 

many hours later unable to walk. She called EMS, was 

taken to the ER and given charcoal, and was admitted 

to the hospital. The patient was unable to verbalize her 

intent but stated she was well-aware of the dangers of 

TCA overdose and the potential for death.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined

17. The patient was unconscious when he was admitted to 

the ER after taking 300 prescription pills. He woke up 

later in the ICU and denied any intention to die.

A. Suicidal ideation

B. Suicide attempt

C. Suicide

D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence

E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self

F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other

G. Other suicidal behaviors

H. Unintentional injury 

I. Not enough information/undetermined
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 81

Answers and explanations for vignettes:

1. Answer: A. Suicidal ideation. Based on the information stated in the vignette, the patient has only endorsed suicidal 

thoughts and the description did not indicate any behavior. It is possible that she has engaged in suicidal behaviors 

as well, but at this point, that information is not available and only suicidal ideation was endorsed.

2. Answer: B. Suicide attempt. The patient engaged in a behavior where the potential for injury has occurred (ingested 

at least one pill) with the intent to die as a result of the act (the reason she took the pills was to end her life/e.g. 

the method to kill herself ). As soon as one pill is ingested, even if they change their mind shortly thereafter and it 

couldn’t have been lethal yet, it has become a suicide attempt at that point.

3. Answer: F. Suicide attempt interrupted by other. The patient began to take steps towards making a suicide attempt 

but was stopped by external circumstances before starting the potentially self-injurious act. Behavior was engaged 

in, but it could not have hurt him at that point (potential for harm). If the trigger had been pulled, it would be a 

suicide attempt. If not for this interruption, an actual attempt would have occurred.

4. Answer: C. Suicide. The patient died as a result of self-inflicted behavior engaged in order to end her life. It’s clear 

that she jumped because she wanted to die (no other feasible intent). 

5. Answer: I. Not enough information. Based on the vignette, it is unclear whether the man intentionally hit the pole 

with his car or that he wanted to kill himself. There is also nothing that indicated he had any suicidal thoughts. We 

know from the vignette that he was engaged in reckless behavior, but it is unclear whether hitting the pole was 

accidental or intentional. In this example, neither the intent nor the behavioral piece of the definition is clear.

6. Answer: D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence. The patient makes it clear that she did not want to die as a result of 

taking the ibuprofen and she did not believe the amount taken would kill her. She actually did research to make 

sure she took an amount that wouldn’t harm her, because she ONLY wanted to escape from her mother’s home. Her 

intention was not to die but entirely to make people believe she had made a suicide attempt in order to get out of 

the house

7. Answer: I. Not enough information/undetermined. Based on the available information, it is unclear whether he 

intended to jump off the roof, or if it was accidental. It is possible that there was some suicidal ideation and content 

(themes about self-sacrifice) but it is not clear this was related to his falling from the building. If he had expressed 

command hallucinations about jumping or killing himself, or there was no logical reason why he was on the roof, 

there would be more compelling information to infer suicidal intent.

8. Answer: G. Other suicidal behavior. As the patient states, she began making preparations towards an imminent 

suicide attempt. She indicated that she engaged in a behavior (collecting pills) associated with suicidal intent, so it 

has gone beyond suicidal thoughts. 

9. Answer: A. Suicidal ideation. The patient endorsed thoughts of killing himself (active suicidal thoughts) with thoughts 

of a method (not formulated enough to call it a plan yet), but has not engaged in any behavior.

10. Answer: E. Suicide attempt interrupted by self. The man took steps towards making a suicide attempt (walked up to 

the roof ) but stopped himself/changed his mind before the potential for harm had begun.

11. Answer: D. Non-suicidal self-directed violence. This is non-suicidal self-directed violence because she ONLY wanted 

to get attention and that’s why she cut herself, not at all because she wanted to kill herself. The behavior was 

intentional but the suicidal intent component of the definition of attempt is not indicated.
82 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

12. Answer: I. Not enough information. This example does not clearly indicate suicidal ideation. If he had said he wanted 

to die or shoot himself it would reflect suicidal thoughts, but it is not clear. Alternatively, if he had said he said it 

only to get them to stop fighting but did not actually have thoughts of wanting to be dead or killing myself, then it 

would be clear there was NO suicidal ideation. 

13. Answer: H. Unintentional injury death. Based on the available information, this person’s death is more likely an 

unintentional injury than a suicide as there was no indication of suicidal intent . His intention was clearly for another 

reason (‘to swim it off”).

14. Answer: I. Not enough information. It is possible that this man is alluding to suicidal ideation by his statement and 

may have been considering a suicide attempt by walking in the busy road, but there is not enough information to 

support making such assumptions. Thus, it is not clear there is suicidal ideation or behavior.

15. Answer: B. Suicide attempt. This is a suicide attempt because the patient indicated he was trying to kill himself 

and as soon as he pulled the trigger he could have been injured (the potential for harm), which fulfills both the 

components of the definition of suicide attempt (behavior and intent).It is important to note that there does not 

have to be injury or harm for it to be called a suicide attempt, so even though the gun failed to fire and there was 

no injury, as soon as the trigger was pulled it became an attempt. 

16. Answer B. Suicide attempt. Even though her stated/explicit intent is unclear, intent can be inferred (implicit) because 

she thought it could have killed her. 

17. Answer B. Suicide attempt. Even though he denied having tried to kill himself on purpose (explicit), intent can 

be inferred form the clinical circumstances. It was such a highly lethal act, no other intent but suicide can be 

inferred (implicit).
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 83
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SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 85
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SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 87

Appendix

Key terms

Additional terms that the reader is likely to encounter in other documents discussing self-directed violence are included 

and defined here. In addition, some of the data standards or guidelines mentioned in this document may use terms 

which are not part of the definitions derived by this process but may be important for the reader to be familiar with 

when using the document.

Term Definition Source

Act The performance of any function or the 

bringing about of any effect 

Example - A suicidal act may result in death 

(suicide), injuries, or no injuries 

Dorland’s Illustrated Medical 

dictionary, W. B. Saunders Company, 

Philadelphia, 1974

Death of undetermined 

intent 

A death whose manner is unclear when all 

available information is considered.

CDC. Medical Examiners’ and 

Coroners’ Handbook on Death 

Registration and Fetal Death 

Reporting. Washington, D.C.: U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services; 2003 publication # 2003-

1110

Direct Pertaining to an association between a factor 

and a condition where the factor occurs prior 

to the condition, the change in the factor is 

correlated with a change in the condition and 

the correlation is not itself the consequence of 

the factor and the condition being correlated 

with some prior factor

 Mausner & Bahn Epidemiology: 

An introductory text. W.B. Saunders, 

Philadelphia, 1985

Distal risk factor The underlying vulnerability that potentiates 

a characteristic, variable, or hazard which 

increases the likelihood of development of an 

adverse outcome which is measurable and 

precedes the outcome

Mościcki EK. Epidemiology of 

completed and attempted suicide: 

Toward a framework for prevention. 

Clinical Neuroscience Research. 2001; 

1:310-323.

Episode A developed situation that is integral to but 

separate from a continuous narrative

ICECI version 1.2, WHO, 2004

Explicit Fully revealed or expressed without 

vagueness, implication, or ambiguity; leaving 

no question as to meaning or intent

Rosenberg ML, Davidson LE, Smith JC, 

Berman AL, Buzbee H, Gantner G, Gay 

GA, Moore-Lewis B, Mills DH, Murray 

D, O’Carroll PW, Jobes D. Operational 

criteria for the determination of 

suicide. Journal of Forensic Science. 

1988; 33(6):1445-56.
88 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Fatal Causing death Dorland’s Illustrated Medical 

dictionary, W. B. Saunders Company, 

Philadelphia, 1974

Immediate cause of death The final disease, injury, or complication 

directly causing death

CDC. Medical Examiners’ and 

Coroners’ Handbook on Death 

Registration and Fetal Death 

Reporting. 

Implicit Being without doubt or reserve, implied 

though not directly expressed; inherent in the 

nature of something 

Rosenberg et al, 1988. 

Impulsivity Cognitive Impulsivity -The intellectual or 

mental process which results in an act 

performed without delay, reflection, voluntary 

direction or obvious control in response to a 

stimulus

Behavioral Impulsivity - An act performed 

without delay, reflection, voluntary direction 

or obvious control in response to a stimulus

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 

of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, 

Text Revision, American Psychiatric 

Association, American Psychiatric 

Association, Arlington, VA, 2000.

Indirect Pertaining to an association between a factor 

and a condition because both are related to 

some common underlying condition 

Mausner, 1985 

Inferred To derive as a conclusion from facts or 

premises

International Epidemiological 

Association. Dictionary of 

Epidemiology, fourth edition. Last JM, 

editor. New York: Oxford; 2001.

Injury A (suspected) bodily lesion resulting from 

acute overexposure to energy (this can be 

mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical 

or radiant) interacting with the body in 

amounts or rates that exceed the threshold of 

physiological tolerance. In some case an injury 

results from an insufficiency of vital elements, 

such as oxygen. Acute poisonings and toxic 

effects, including overdoses of substances 

and wrong substances given or taken in 

error are included, as are adverse effects and 

complications of therapeutic, surgical and 

medical care. Psychological harm is excluded 

in this context.

World Health Organization. 

International statistical classification 

of diseases and related health 

problems, tenth revision. 2nd edition. 

Geneva, Switzerland. 2004. chapter 

XIX (19)
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 89

Institution An established organization or corporation, 

such as a hospital/urgent care center 

(emergency facility), mental health facility, 

clinic 

ICECI Coordination and Maintenance 

Group (2004). International 

Classification of External Causes of 

Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2. Consumer 

Safety Institute, Amsterdam and 

AIHW National Injury Surveillance 

Unit, Adelaide.

Intentional self-harm Purposely self-inflicted poisoning or injury World Health Organization. 

International statistical classification 

of diseases and related health 

problems, tenth revision. 2nd edition. 

Geneva, Switzerland. 2004. 

Non-fatal Not causing death Dorland’s Illustrated Medical 

dictionary, W. B. Saunders Company, 

Philadelphia, 1974

Physical Injury 

 

A (suspected) bodily lesion resulting from 

acute overexposure to energy (this can be 

mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical 

or radiant) interacting with the body in 

amounts or rates that exceed the threshold of 

physiological tolerance. In some case an injury 

results from an insufficiency of vital elements, 

such as oxygen. Acute poisonings and toxic 

effects, including overdoses of substances 

and wrong substances given or taken in 

error are included, as are adverse effects and 

complications of therapeutic, surgical and 

medical care. Psychological harm is excluded 

in this context.

ICECI Coordination and Maintenance 

Group (2004). International 

Classification of External Causes of 

Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2. Consumer 

Safety Institute, Amsterdam and 

AIHW National Injury Surveillance 

Unit, Adelaide.

Precipitating event Factors associated with the definitive onset 

of a disease, illness, accident, behavioral 

response, or course of action. Examples 

include exposure to specific disease; 

circumstance, condition, or agent 

International Epidemiological 

Association. Dictionary of 

Epidemiology, fourth edition. Last JM, 

editor. New York: Oxford; 2001.

Proximal risk factor A measurable characteristic, variable, or hazard 

that increases the likelihood of development 

of an adverse outcome and is more 

immediately antecedent to the outcome, 

acting as a precipitant

Mościcki, 2001 
90 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

Rescueability A term used in assessing a suicide act that 

indicates that the situation allowed for the 

possibility of intervention by others to prevent 

death 

Weissman, A. D., & Worden, J. W. 

(1972). Risk-rescue rating and suicide 

assessment. Archives of General 

Psychiatry. 1972; 26: 553–560.

Self Harm Behavior/selfinflicted/ self Injurious The act of injuring oneself intentionally by 

various methods such as self-laceration, 

self-battering, taking overdoses or exhibiting 

deliberate recklessness but with no intent to 

die 

U.S. Public Health Service. National 

Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals 

and Objectives for Action. Washington, 

DC: U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, 2001.

Self harm ideation Any thought of or communication regarding 

a person’s desire to engage in self-inflicted 

potentially injurious behavior. There is no 

evidence of intent to die.

Silverman MM, Berman AL, Sanddal 

ND, O’Carroll PW, Joiner TE. Rebuilding 

the Tower of Babel: a revised 

nomenclature for the study of suicide 

and suicidal behaviors. Part 2: suiciderelated ideations, communications, 

and behaviors. Suicide Life Threat 

Behav 2007;37:264–277.

Suicidal ideation Thoughts of engaging in suicide-related 

behavior

National Strategy for Suicide 

Prevention: Goals and Objectives for 

Action.

Suicidal intent There is evidence (explicit and/or implicit) that 

at the time of injury the individual intended to 

kill self or wished to die and that the individual 

understood the probable consequences of his 

or her actions 

World Health Organization. 

International Classification of External 

Causes of Injuries (ICECI) version 1.2, 

WHO, 2004 . Available at: http://www.

iceci.org. Accessed November 21, 

2007.

Suicidal plan A thought regarding a self-initiated action 

that facilitates self-harm behavior or a suicide 

attempt this will often include an organized 

manner of engaging in suicidal behavior such 

as a description of a time frame and method.

Silverman MM et al, 2007.
SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS 91

Types of suicide Categories of suicides within a broad social 

context. Based on the work of Durkheim, 

they include egoistic, altruistic, anomic, and 

fatalistic. 

Egoistic suicide - This is the type of suicide that 

occurs where the degree of social integration 

is low and there is a sense of meaninglessness 

among individuals. 

Altruistic suicide - This is the type of suicide 

that occurs when integration is too great. 

The person feels deeply committed to group 

norms and goals and see their own lives as 

unimportant, they die for a “cause”.

Anomic suicide - This type of suicide occurs 

when there is social instability resulting from 

breakdown of standards and values, regulation 

is too low. To individuals, life seems aimless. 

Fatalistic suicide - When regulation is too 

strong, the individual sees no hope of change 

against the oppressive discipline of the 

society. 

Durkheim, Emile. Suicide: A Study in 

Sociology (1897). New York. The Free 

Press reprint 1997.

Underlying cause of 

death

The disease, injury, or complication, if any, that 

gave rise to the immediate cause of death

CDC. Medical Examiners’ and 

Coroners’ Handbook on Death 

Registration and Fetal Death 

Reporting. Washington, D.C.: U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services; 2003 publication # 2003-

1110

Undetermined injury 

incident

Events where available information is 

insufficient to enable a medical or legal 

authority to make a distinction between 

unintentional, self-directed and assault.

World Health Organization. 

International Statistical Classification 

of Diseases and Related Health 

Problems, 10th Revision 

Version for 2007, Available at: http://

apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/

icd10online/ Accessed October 11, 

2009.

Victim-precipitated 

assault or homicide

An act in which a person engages in actual or 

apparent danger to others in an attempt to 

get oneself killed or injured.

Sheehan DC, Warren JI, editors. 

Suicide and law enforcement: A 

compilation of papers from the 

1999 Suicide and Law Enforcement 

Conference, Published 2001, U.S. 

Dept. of Justice, Federal Bureau of 

Investigation (Washington, D.C)
92 SELF-DIRECTED VIOLENCE SURVEILLANCE: UNIFORM DEFINITIONS AND RECOMMENDED DATA ELEMENTS

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Division of Violence Prevention

For more information, please contact 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

4770 Buford Highway, MS F-64, Atlanta, GA 30341

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)/TTY:1-888-232-6348

Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov Web: www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention