In anticipation of World Mental Health Day on October 10, psychologist Henda Vieira-Lopes highlighted the barriers communities face in accessing formal mental health support through the National Health Service.
“For African communities, where average incomes are lower, mental health is not a priority, and cost poses a significant barrier,” said the psychologist.
Economic factors are compounded by stigma, as psychology is often perceived as a sign of “lack of willpower,” Henda Vieira-Lopes explained.
“Mental health issues are often dismissed as a matter of willpower, and that denial only exacerbates the problem,” he noted.
The specialist emphasized that migration and integration into Portugal are significant stress factors.
Bureaucracy, job insecurity, and populist rhetoric against these communities exacerbate anxiety and insecurity.
“Each obstacle increases psychological pressure, leading to burnout, depression, and anxiety,” he stated.
These issues threaten the “ghettoization” of these communities, rather than integrating them, and alienate the second generation.
In response to these challenges, Afropsis, a collective of Black and Afro-descendant psychologists, was established four years ago. It comprises approximately 40 professionals who work closely with African and Afro-descendant communities across the country.
“Our ability to connect within African communities is greater due to identification and representation,” the psychologist explained, adding that “people feel safer.”
The organization initially offered free consultations to Black refugees from Ukraine and expanded its efforts to neighborhoods in the southern margins, Amadora, and Ameixoeira, in coordination with local associations such as Casa do Brasil de Lisboa.
In August, Afropsis sent members to Cape Verde to provide support following landslides caused by heavy rains in a joint mission with firefighters and civil protection services.
Despite its impact, the association operates solely on a volunteer basis, lacking institutional funding, which limits its activities.
To overcome these obstacles, the group advocates for psychology to move beyond offices and into communities through outreach programs.
“It’s not enough to wait for people to come to us. We need to bring psychology to communities, work with local leaders, and create safe spaces. Often, we start conversations about life, and only at the end do people realize they spoke to a psychologist,” he said.
Henda Vieira-Lopes concluded that “non-Black populations have easier access,” while “Afro-descendant communities face many more challenges,” adding that Afropsis members feel “the need to give back to the community” what they know “to ease pains that often go unrecognized.”
World Mental Health Day was first observed in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health and is now recognized and celebrated by the World Health Organization.
