Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, 30, died by suicide on January 30, 2022. Kryst was the oldest contestant to ever win Miss USA at age 28 — just one of her many successes in life.
Kryst was also an attorney in North Carolina who fought for legal reform and provided pro bono legal services to people who received unjust prison sentences. She was an entertainment news correspondent for Extra, a fashion blogger who founded the blog White Collar Glam, and a volunteer for Dress for Success, a global nonprofit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence.
With a list of accomplishments as long as Kryst’s, you might never have guessed she lived with depression.
“In her private life, she was dealing with high-functioning depression, which she hid from everyone — including me, her closest confidant — until very shortly before her death,” said Kryst’s mother, April Simpkins, in a statement to Extra.
Kryst’s depression was so well-hidden that even people close to Kryst thought the news of her death must have been a mistake. Broadcast journalist and TV personality Gayle King, who became friends with Kryst after interviewing her in 2019, said she had never noticed any warning signs in Kryst. “That’s part of the reason I’m so gutted by the news — and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way,” King wrote in a piece for Oprah Daily.
What to Know About ‘High-Functioning’ Depression and Suicide Risk
Kryst’s story has gotten people talking about depression, suicide, and what the warning signs of both look like. Here are five lessons to add to the conversation, according to Allison Young, MD, an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City and a psychiatry medical reviewer for Everyday Health.
1. The Term ‘High-Functioning’ Reflects Harmful Stereotypes About Depression
“High-functioning” depression is not recognized as an official diagnosis, says Dr. Young. The term…