Demi Lovato had suicidal thoughts as a seven year old

Demi Lovato has opened up about the extent of her battles with depression, revealing she had suicidal thoughts as a seven year old.

The singer/actress got her big break aged seven when she landed a role on hit kids show Barney & Friends, but despite her tender years, she was already struggling with dark thoughts.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, she admits, "At the time I was just so grateful to be on TV, but I was also really struggling. Even before Barney, I was suicidal. I was seven."

The X Factor judge has been extremely open about her battles with mental health issues since she suffered a meltdown in 2010 and spent time recuperating in rehab.

She has also candidly spoken about her battles with eating disorder bulimia and self-harming, but Lovato explains that there are many other experiences she has kept to herself, adding, "I've talked about being bullied and the years of being a teenager, but I went through things when I was younger that I've never talked about that probably caused me to turn out the way I ended up turning out."

The latest revelation comes after Lovato admitted her school principal instructed her to sign a "suicide contract" at the time over fears for her wellbeing.

Demi Lovato was dealt another blow last month when her estranged father Patrick lost his cancer battle at the age of 54.