Photovoice, emotional health, and structural inequalities: adolescent voices from an intercultural neighborhood in the global south.

Introduction: The research is framed within the Latin American collective health perspective, which understands emotional well-being as a relational and situated phenomenon shaped by social determinants. We aimed explores how a group of cisgender and non-binary adolescent girls from Global South construct and give meaning to their emotional well-being in a context marked by structural inequalities, migration, and cultural diversity. Method: Using the Photovoice method, a participatory strategy was developed that enabled participants to express their emotional experiences through images and collective narratives. Intersectionality and adolescent agency were central to the analysis. The study was conducted between 2022 and 2023 in a single-sex public school located in an intercultural neighborhood of Santiago, Chile, during the return to in-person learning after 2 years of COVID-19 lockdown. Results: Findings show that emotional well-being is linked to both intimate spaces (e.g., solitude, bonds with companion animals) and collective ones (e.g., friendships, family, activism, and school). Additionally, unpleasant emotions, such as desolation, were interpreted as part of emotional development. Nature emerged symbolically to reflect complex emotions and as a source of ecological concern. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of creating spaces for participation, listening, and recognition, and calls for public policies that actively incorporate adolescent voices in shaping emotional of well-being.