Mohamad Saripudin, Aip Badrujaman
The consensus article by Quah et al. (2025) offers an important framework for strengthening perinatal mental health across the Asia–Pacific region but does not sufficiently address the role of cultural wisdom and ritualized social support in maternal wellbeing. Evidence from Indonesia suggests that cultural pregnancy rituals and strong family or community support can protect against antenatal anxiety and depression, even though direct empirical studies on ritual-specific outcomes remain limited. In Indonesia, longstanding practices such as mitoni, ba bu, and topung tawar function as informal, community-driven psychosocial interventions that reinforce maternal identity, collective empathy, and emotional safety. Integrating these culturally embedded supports into regional perinatal mental health frameworks could enhance cultural relevance, strengthen community participation, and bridge gaps between formal healthcare and indigenous caregiving systems. A culturally grounded approach, guided by voluntariness and safety considerations, may contribute to more holistic and equitable maternal mental health strategies in the region. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
Guidance and Counseling Department, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
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