Demi Lovato says mental health should be taken more seriously

Demi Lovato has urged society to take mental health more seriously.

The singer is due to meet law-makers for the Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health initiative in Washington DC today (October 6).

The US star, who has previously suffered from a range of issues such as eating disorders and addiction, told People that mental health conditions need to be viewed more sympathetically.

She said: "I went through several years of pain and suffering, and I want to be able to help people and help try to prevent that suffering from happening.

"I think it's important that people no longer look at mental illness as something taboo to talk about. It's something that's extremely common, one in five adults has a mental illness, so basically everyone is essentially connected to this problem and this epidemic.

"The problem with mental illness is people don't look at it as a physical illness. When you think about it, the brain is actually the most complex organ in your body. We need to treat it like a physical illness and take it seriously."

Watch Demi Lovato's 'Cool For The Summer' video below: