Mental health of racialized immigrant women in Portugal: an intersectional and decolonial analysis

Abstract

This article examines the challenges faced by racialized immigrant women in accessing mental health services in Portugal. The lack of research focused on this population prompted a theoretical and critical reflection grounded in intersectional feminist and decolonial frameworks. The analysis highlights how structural inequalities, discriminatory practices, and the absence of cultural sensitivity in care provision continue to reinforce barriers to psychological support. As key implications, the study underscores the urgent need to rethink public mental health policies, invest in professional training guided by critical models of multicultural competencies, and incorporate perspectives that address the enduring impacts of coloniality within mental health services in the Portuguese context.