Demi Lovato has long been an advocate for mental health awareness. Just recently, the pop singer talked about her road to mental recovery once more and encouraged other sufferers to do the same through a health initiative.

The initiative "Be Vocal: Speak Up For Mental Health" was launched recently by pharmaceutical company, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and other groups advocating for mental health awareness, Fox News Latino reported. Through the program, Lovato discussed how improving her mental state helped her everyday life.

"It's not something that anyone should be ashamed of," the former Disney star shared, as quoted by Fox News Latino. "The more people talk about it, the more people can come out and get the help they need."

The "Be Vocal" initiative gives special focus on improved treatment options for mental illnesses and removing the shame surrounding the issue. The movement is "as much about sufferers voicing their treatment needs as it is about families and communities speaking up for better resources to meet those needs," the news outlet noted.

"Growing up, I felt very, very depressed," Lovato, 22, explained, as reported by Fox News Latino. "Even though I was playing concerts and living out my dream, I couldn't tell you why I was upset."

Later on, the songstress decided to have herself treated after a family intervention. It turns out she has a mental condition.

"I remember smiling and thinking, 'Great, OK, so there's not anything wrong with me as a person," Lovato recounted, the news outlet reported. "It's actually just a condition that I have and I can do something to fix it. I don't have to be like this forever."

At present, the entertainer claims that her music is "a lot happier." The "Really Don't Care" singer recently partnered with Nick Jonas and her manager, Phil McIntyre, in launching a new record label called "Safehouse Records," Billboard wrote.

Mental health care and awareness is a personal issue for Lovato. Aside from her own diagnosis, her late father, Patrick, had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well, PEOPLE reported. According to Lovato, she watched her father "live a very unfortunate life because of the lack of access to treatment."

The singer, who credits her recovery to her boyfriend, Wilmer Valderrama, insisted that her outlook in life has changed for the better after she sought mental treatment.

"I'm living well with my mental illness -- I am actually functioning like a very happy person would," Lovato told PEOPLE. "I couldn't be happier today. Life is really, really great. I'm living my dream. Life is pretty amazing."

Mental Health America is also one of the songstress' partners on her new project, the news outlet added. Last year, she went on the Mental Health Listening & Engagement Tour across the United States to encourage people who have mental illnesses to speak up about their condition. Lovato said that the response she received from the tour was "incredible" and "welcoming," PEOPLE noted.