Self-Directed Violence Classification System (SDVCS) and Clinical Toolkit Released - Updated 3 December 2012

As of 12/3/2012, all SDVCS materials have been updated to reflect changes in the CDC's definition of the term Suicidal Intent.

The field of Suicidology has long struggled with the lack of a universally agreed upon definition for suicide and associated terms. Synonymous with the word suicide is the term self-directed violence. A shared understanding of self-directed violence (SDV) in its various forms is critical. The VA is adopting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Self-Directed Violence Classification System (SDVCS).

The SDVCS is a taxonomy of terms and corresponding definitions for thoughts and behaviors related to both suicidal and non-suicidal SDV. SDVCS terms are organized by:

1. Types
2. Subtypes
3. Definitions
4. Modifiers
5. Terms

A two-page handout of the Self-Directed Violence Classification System is available for download. Also available for download is the Clinical Tool (CT). The Clinical Tool was created to aid clinician decision-making by facilitating rapid SDVCS term identification using a decision-tree model.

Self-Directed Violence Classification System On-Line Decision Tree

We have developed an on-line version of the SDV decision tree to help clinicians select the most appropriate SDV term.

The tool, based on work by Donald "Gordy" Gordon, VISN 2 Center of Excellence Suicide Prevention, offers a quick and easy question-based tree.

Go to the On-Line SDV Classification Tool.