On Jan. 30 2019 Miss USA Cheslie Kryst committed suicide by jumping from her apartment in Manhattan.

Cheslie Kryst, in the 2019 Miss Universe competition, fought her way to the top tenth round. She was an attorney, but later became a TV correspondent on Extra TV where she interviewed many celebrities. Kryst was mostly known for her kind spirit and energetic personality according to Extra, but at the age of 30 Kryst’s life ended.

According to Kryst’s mother, April Simpkins said “she was dealing with high-functioning depression which she hid from everyone — including me, her closest confidant — until very shortly before her death.”

Just three days before taking her life Kryst had posted one of her last things on social media which was a video on TikTok of her holding up M&M’s and smiling. The comments from that TikTok were full of grief and questions as to how this could have happened.

“How did we not notice…may she rest in peace”, said one user in that video.

This has opened eyes to the public to how easy it is for someone to miss a warning sign. Kryst previously had cringed at the idea of turning 30 and had said to Allure that turning 30 “feels like a reminder that I am running out of time to matter in society’s eyes,” and she is not the only one feeling this way.

During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the US have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, compared to one in 10 adults who reported between January and June 2019. Now coming out of the pandemic, officials are encouraging people to know the warning signs which include: feeling empty, sad, anxious, agitated, or having no reason to live, changes in behavior like withdrawing, giving away items, having extreme mood swings, eating or sleeping more or less, and substance abuse.

Kryst is one example of how mental health can affect someone’s life completely.

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, resources are available. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.