Evaluation of the self-inflicted violence surveillance system and characterization of reported cases in the Eastern health macro-region of Minas Gerais, 2019-2023.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of self-inflicted violence notifications among individuals aged 10 years or older residing in municipalities of the Eastern health macro-region of Minas Gerais from 2019 to 2023, and to evaluate the surveillance system for this condition through the attributes of data quality, representativeness, timeliness, and acceptability. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with a descriptive approach, which analyzed the epidemiological profile of self-inflicted violence notifications and the attributes of data quality, representativeness, timeliness, and acceptability, in accordance with the guidelines of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RESULTS: A total of 2,817 cases of self-inflicted violence were reported in the macro-region, 69.7% (1,964) of which occurred among women, with a median age of 25 years. Data quality was classified as good (acceptable duplication rate: 1.9%; moderate consistency: 83.5%; and moderate completeness: 70.9%). Representativeness was considered moderate, based on the completeness of victim profiles (70.1%), time of occurrence (100.0%), and place of occurrence (63.7%). Timeliness was inadequate for 24-hour reporting (52.1%), data entry within seven days (24.8%), and same-day case closure (34.2%). System acceptability was assessed as unacceptable due to low timeliness and unsatisfactory completeness of key variables (68.4%). CONCLUSION: Weaknesses were identified in the completion of notification forms and delays in case identification and reporting, rendering the system unacceptable. It is expected that strategies will be strengthened to improve the surveillance of self-inflicted violence, with a focus on prevention efforts.