Death of 17-year-old 'America's Got Talent' contestant puts spotlight on teens and suicide
The death of a 17-year-old who appeared on "America's Got Talent" with her high school dance team has sparked a conversation on teens and mental health.
Emily Gold, a varsity dance captain and senior at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California, died by suicide, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Coroner's Office, which lists Sept. 14, as her date of death.
Gold appeared in August in the quarterfinals of the competition show "America's Got Talent" with the Los Osos High School dance team.
After her death, Gold was remembered by her dance team in an Instagram tribute as a "leader, role model, friend, and sister to her teammates."
The school district that Gold attended also mourned her death, saying in a statement, "The Chaffey Joint Union High School District community is heartbroken by the tragic death of Los Osos High School Senior Emily Gold."
"Emily was a cherished member of the Los Osos High School campus and was beloved by her fellow students and teachers," superintendent Mat Holton, Ed.D., said in the statement shared with ABC News. "The District and school are providing on-site grief counselors and therapists to any student who might need support during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences to Emily's family and loved ones."
Gold's death sparked a conversation on social media about mental health and suicide.
"We just never know what someone is going through or struggling with," one commenter wrote on the Los Osos High School dance team's Instagram post honoring Gold.
"I didnt [sic] even know her but just going to the same school just hits me so hard and i feel the grief too," wrote another.
A parent commented on the post, "My son describes her as always happy with the biggest smile and laugh. A girl that everyone loved. She was so well liked by everyone."
In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10-14 and 25-34 , and the third leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 15-24, according to the National Institute on Mental Health.
In the years since the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an even greater spotlight on young people and mental health as data continues to show a worsening trend.
The data prompted U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in 2021 to warn of a growing mental health crisis among young people.
Last year, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of high school female students seriously considering suicide jumped from 24% in 2019 to 30% in 2021, the most recent data available.
Common risk factors for suicide include a history of depression and other mental illness, bullying, loss of relationships, and social isolation, according to the CDC.
What parents, caregivers can do to help kids
Experts say universally the most important steps parents and caregivers can take to help their kids' mental health are to have open conversations with kids about mental health, to observe changes in behavior and to seek professional help when needed.
"Despite the fact that people say teenagers don't want to talk to their parents, they actually do. Maybe they don't want to listen to what they have to say, and may not do what they say, but they want to know that their parents are interested and concerned," Dr. Tami Benton, psychiatrist-in-chief at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told ABC News last year. "The key to us getting through this is going to be family -- the caregiver, the neighbor who takes care of you, whoever it is."
And specifically when it comes to suicide, hearing or talking about suicide in age-appropriate ways isn't inherently dangerous for kids.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has guides available for talking to children about suicide at various ages.
When it comes to changes in behavior, the AFSP urges parents and caregivers to trust their instincts in observing different patterns in their kids and seeking help as needed.
Behavior changes may include anything from aggression and fatigue to isolating from friends and family, withdrawing from activities, changes in sleep and talk of feeling trapped or hopeless, according to the AFSP.
Experts say a child's pediatrician, school officials and mental health practitioners are all good resources for parents and caregivers to talk to about mental health.
"You know your child better than anybody else, so if you see a change in their behaviors and their functioning and how they're doing in school or with peers or with you, talk to somebody to see, 'Should I be concerned?'" Robin Gurwitch, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, previously told "GMA." "Children don't come with a manual, so it's unfair [for parents] to think, 'I know what to do.'"
If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].
