Demi Lovato says mental health should be given more attention
Superstar Demi Lovato has led the discussions on mental illness in observance of World Mental Health Day on Saturday.
Lovato, who is also living with bipolar disorder, is now a spokesperson of “Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health,” an initiative across America that urges people to be vocal about fighting mental health issues.
In an interview with MSNBC, the singer and songwriter explained that there is a need for a mental health care reform in America. She cited several instances where citizen’s mental health has been brought to attention by the media, such as the recent campus shooting in Oregon.
A mass shooting incident transpired in Oregon on Oct.1 and experts blamed the shooter’s mental health illness for the tragedy. The perpetrator shot nine people and injured another nine students, just before killing himself.
"I think it's really important to remember that actually mental health—people with mental illness are actually more likely to inflict harm on themselves and become the victim rather than be the perpetrators,” she said, as quoted by Mirror. Lovato believes that these incidents happen repeatedly due to lack of support for persons with mental health problems.
The 23-year-old has been honest about her own battle with bipolar disorder, which was diagnosed when she was 18.
"When I got diagnosed, it was a relief to know that I wasn't just being ungrateful, that it was actually me being sick,” she said.
Lovato shared a link Tuesday via Twitter asking people to speak up on mental health issues. “Now it’s your turn to #BeVocalSpeakUp! How will you speak up for #mentalhealth?” she captioned.
Continuing her efforts to spread awareness about mental health, she also met Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn during the National Council for Behavioral Health's Hill Day in Washington. Cornyn also expressed his support for the mental health reform, Upworthy said.
On the lighter side, Lovato will release her fourth album “Confident” on Oct. 16, including her latest singles “Cool For The Summer” and “Confident.”
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