Demi Lovato has dedicated her Lovato Treatment Scholarship to her late father Patrick after realising he wasn't the bad guy she grew up thinking he was.

The singer's father died in June (13) after suffering from mental health and addiction issues for years - and after dealing with her own demons in rehab in 2010 and 2011, Demi now understands what her dad was going through.

She tells Nylon magazine, "I went through an entire life without my birth dad because I assumed that he was a bad guy and never took into consideration, even after I went through my stuff, that he was just ill.

"I thought, 'Maybe this can save somebody's dad!'"

The Lovato Treatment Scholarship, which the Heart Attack singer launched in July (13), covers expenses for those struggling with mental health and/or addiction issues, including the costs for clinical services and counselling.