Demi Lovato Named Global Citizen's Mental Health Ambassador

On Sunday, Demi Lovato announced she will serve as the mental health ambassador for Global Citizen, a community for social change around the world.

Lovato has been open about her experience living with bipolar disorder, and has worked with organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

Now, Lovato is partnering with Global Citizen and Save the Children, a nonprofit that works to provide healthy lives for children across the world, to introduce Healing and Education Through the Arts (HEART) to refugees in Iraq.

HEART aims to provide psychosocial support for children experiencing chronic stress. The program uses the arts as a way to help children understand and communicate their emotions.

Last October, Lovato visited a refugee camp in Kurdistan to meet with displaced families, an experience, she said, will stay with her forever. This initiative will bring Save the Children’s HEART program back to Kurdistan.

“The trauma that displaced families and children all around the world feel from losing not only their homes, but also some of the people closest to them, is unfathomable and has long-lasting impacts,” Lovato said.

“My hope is that this program can bring a bit of comfort to those who need [it] the most. This isn’t about politics or race or religion. It’s simply about humanity and protecting one another.”