1. New York Violent Death Reporting System (NYVDRS)
Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention
Kitty Gelberg, Ph.D., MPH

2. Background
NYVDRS is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State
NYVDRS is an incident-based reporting system that collects information from multiple sources to better understand the circumstances of violent deaths.
Confidentiality: Only summarized data may be presented or published.
No individuals will be publicly identified
No case-specific data may be released
No family members will be contacted as a result of this data transfer.

3. In 2014, New York became one of 32 states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)There are now 42 states and one territory funded. The goal is to include eventually all 50 states, all US territories, and the District of Columbia in the system.

4. What is the New York Violent Death Reporting System (NYVDRS)?
NYVDRS is the only place in NYS where data from various sources is combined into one usable, anonymous database
NYVDRS data describe the “who, when, where, and how” of violent deaths. This can lead to a better understanding of the “why”.

5. What is a “violent” death?
2014
NYC
Upstate NY
NYS N %
Suicides
513
47.0
1,111
76.0
1,624
63.6
Homicides
348
31.9
280
19.2
628
24.6
Death of undetermined intent
223
20.4 60
4.1
283
11.1
Death from legal intervention 7
0.6 5
0.3 12
0.5
Death related to terrorism
Accidental death due to firearm 1
0.1 6
0.4
TOTAL
1,092
1,462
2,554

8. Additional Information from NYVDRS
Toxicology Results
Circumstances
Present
Upstate
(582)
NYC (393)
Alcohol
182
133
Antidepressants
111 45
Benzodiazepines
119 60
Cocaine 19
Marijuana 84 38
Anticonvulsants 26 11
Opiates
102 50
Antipsychotics 23 14
Life Stressors
Upstate
(1,012)
NYC
(541)
Criminal legal 53 5
Civil legal 33 2
Physical health
172 32
Job problem 59 22
Financial problem 13
Eviction 17 8
Death of friend/family 36

9. Other Information Means Demographics Wound
Drowning, Fall, Firearm, Hanging, MV, Poisoning, Sharp instrument
Firearm:
Type, Caliber/gauge, Make, Model, Stored loaded, Gun owner
Demographics
Sexual orientation, Military, Education level, Marital status, Sex
Wound
Number, Location

10. Questions that may be answered by NYVDRS
What life crisis most commonly precedes a suicide in the elderly (65+)?
Are suicides more common among those with a terminal disease?
Are suicides occurring among those with dementia?
What percent of suicides are homicide/suicides?
How many suicide victims made previous attempts?
What proportion of violent deaths occur among the LGBTQ community?
What proportion of suicides are drug-related?
How often are suicides precipitated by another crime?

11. Example
How many suicides are occurring among people with diagnosed mental health conditions?
(*preliminary data 2015, Upstate NY)
Diagnosis
Number (n = 310)
Percent
ADD 3
1.0
Anxiety disorder 9
3.0
Bipolar disorder 37
12.0
Depression
237
76.4
PTSD 6
1.9
Schizophrenia 14
4.5

12. We cannot do this alone…..
We must create partnerships…..
We could save a life working together!
Note: In Upstate NY,
389 suicides have circumstance information from C/ME,
653 suicides have circumstance information from LE
For more information on the New York Violent Death Reporting System contact: (518)