B16 - HD - after NVDRS

The National Violent Death
Reporting System (NVDRS):

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A powerful tool for prevention
The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) provides
data that can help state and local health departments develop
evidence-based strategies for reducing violent deaths.
Violence is a public health problem that affects individuals, families, and
communities throughout the United States. According to data from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control (CDC Injury Center):

■ More than 55,000 Americans died because
of homicide or suicide in 2010 — that’s an
average of more than 6 people dying a violent
death every hour.

↓

☑
☑

■ Violence-related deaths, assaults, and acts of
self-harm cost the United States an estimated
$107 billion in medical care and lost productivity
every year.

NVDRS data provide a complete
picture of violent deaths.

The good news is that violence can be prevented — and accurate
information about violence is the key to directing, designing, implementing,
and evaluating prevention efforts. The NVDRS provides this information to
state and local health departments.

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The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS):
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A powerful tool for prevention

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The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS):
A powerful tool for prevention

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How can you use NVDRS data to prevent homicides and suicides?
NVDRS data describes the “who, when, where, and how” of violent deaths — which
can lead to a better understanding of the “why.” Use NVDRS data to guide your
prevention programs, policies, and practices.

For example, the information can help you:
■ Apply for resources for state and local prevention programs.
■ Inform decision makers and program planners about the
magnitude, trends, and characteristics of violent deaths.

■ Identify risk and protective factors for violence in your county or state.
■ Assist groups in selecting and targeting violence prevention efforts.
■ Evaluate the impact of prevention programs and strategies.

Is NVDRS data available for my state?
Right now, 18 states participate in NVDRS:
Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

National Center
Division

NAME OF
AGENCY

The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS):
A powerful tool for prevention

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If NVDRS data isn’t available for my state, can I
still use the information to guide prevention efforts?
Yes. You can still use NVDRS data to better understand general patterns in violent deaths and
emerging multi-state trends. But keep in mind that NVDRS data isn’t nationally representative.

How can I access NVDRS data?
Visit http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/nvdrs.html. The CDC Injury Center distributes information
from NVDRS at the state and national level in both summary and topic-specific reports. You can
customize your search of the data. Researchers and public health officials can also apply for access
to the restricted use dataset at http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nvdrs/rad.html.

NVDRS Data In Action
Here are just a few examples of how NVDRS data is being used to
shed light on national and local efforts to prevent violent deaths.

☑ Understanding suicide among soldiers
CDC’s Injury Center is collaborating with the Department of Defense (DOD) to link
information from NVDRS with information from DOD data systems. Together, we’ve
identified the following factors as common among soldiers who died from suicide:

■ Intimate partner (relationship) problems
■ Military-related stress, particularly job stress
■ Suicidal ideation (thoughts), a sad or depressed mood, or a recent crisis
Focusing efforts to prevent these forms of stress may help soldiers and reduce suicides
in the military. A number of NVDRS states, including New Jersey, Colorado, and
Kentucky, are also using data to investigate suicides in the military.

National Center
Division

NAME OF
AGENCY

The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS):
A powerful tool for prevention

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☑ Identifying underserved, at-risk groups
NVDRS states can use the data to uncover
patterns and make the best use of resources.
For example, NVDRS data helped Oregon
develop and implement suicide prevention
programs for older adults.
The data showed that only a small percentage
of older adults who committed suicide were
receiving treatment for depression when they
died – even though more than half (1 out of 2)
were reported to have a depressed mood.
In response to these findings, Oregon developed an Older Adult Suicide Prevention Plan
designed to help primary care and mental health providers collaborate to identify and treat
suicidal behavior in older adults.

☑ Localizing efforts to prevent violence
States with NVDRS data can investigate whether violent death circumstances
vary by county or zip code.

■ Virginia and North Carolina NVDRS have recently published reports
analyzing violence by each county in their state.

■ New Jersey currently maps the locations of violent deaths to better

understand trends and patterns in violence. For instance, geographic
analyses revealed suicide rates in New Jersey were highest in rural areas.

Efforts like these help local communities better understand and respond
to the problems of violence they face.

National Center
Division

NAME OF
AGENCY

The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS):
A powerful tool for prevention

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What’s next for the NVDRS program?
To further develop and strengthen the NVDRS program, we plan to:

■ E xpand the NVDRS system to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Right now, NVDRS data can’t be generalized to national trends because
data from the current 18 states aren’t nationally representative. With
additional funding, the NVDRS system could be expanded to cover
more states and provide more data.

■ Ensure NVDRS data supports and translates into violence
prevention activities by:

­−­­­ Increasing dissemination and use of NVDRS data at the national level.
­−­­­ Providing technical assistance to funded states to help them monitor
and report their data.

■ Link NVDRS data with even more data sources, like child

fatality review reports and adult protective services reports.

■ Improve the new web-based reporting platform to increase reporting
efficiency, consistency, and security and decrease administrative costs.

National Center
Division

NAME OF
AGENCY