Academic Underachievement Research Articles

School readiness profiles: Does the quality of preschool education matter?

Studies evaluating school readiness profiles and quality of early education are scarce and have produced inconsistent results. This study aimed to identify school readiness profiles, correlating them with the quality of education, in an epidemiological sample of 722 children (4 and 5 years old; 48.9% female). A four-class latent class analysis model best describes school readiness profiles. Fifty-eight percent of children were considered ready for school. The remaining children presented isolated or combined risks for academic underachievement and social maladjustment. High-quality preschools seem to be a protective factor only for at risk for poor academic achievement (OR = 1.22). The prioritization of high-quality preschools could mitigate risk factors at the family and socioeconomic levels, increasing the chances for academic success. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A structural model of academic performance based on the meaning of education and academic optimism for students of medical sciences: The mediating role of stress

Background: Academic performance is a major concern of the education system and indicates its success in goal-setting and meeting individual needs. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of stress in the relationship between the meaning of education and academic optimism with academic performance in students of medical sciences. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population comprised all students of medical sciences at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran (2022-2023). The study sample consisted of 301 students who were selected using convenience sampling and the Meaning of Education Questionnaire, the Academic Optimism Questionnaire, and the Perceived Stress Scale were administered. The students’ last-semester grade point average (GPA) was used as an indicator of their academic performance. The proposed model was evaluated via structural equation modeling (SEM), and the bootstrap test was used to study the indirect relationships. Results: The results revealed significant positive associations between the meaning of education and academic performance (β=0.19, P=0.003) and between academic optimism and academic performance (β=0.18, P=0.007) among medical students. Additionally, the meaning of education had a direct negative effect on stress (β=-0.36, P=0.001), while academic optimism also exhibited a direct negative effect on stress (β=-0.43, P=0.001). Furthermore, stress had a significant negative impact on academic performance (β=-0.18, P=0.027). The associations between the indirect paths and academic performance were also significant with the mediating role of stress (P<0.05). Conclusion: Accordingly, the proposed model has a good fit and can be useful in identifying the factors affecting academic performance and stress in the students of medical sciences and in developing and designing programs to prevent academic underachievement and improve academic performance in the target group.

The role of working memory and organizational skills in academic functioning for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit difficulties with organizational skills such as task planning, managing materials, and organizing activities that have downstream consequences on academic functioning. At the same time, deficits in working memory have been linked with both the organizational skills difficulties and academic underachievement and underperformance observed in children with ADHD and have been hypothesized to account for the link between organizational and academic functioning. However, the extent to which working memory and organizational skills independently versus jointly contribute to ADHD-related academic difficulties remains unclear. The present study is the first to examine the unique and shared roles of working memory and organizational skills for explaining ADHD-related underachievement and underperformance in a clinically evaluated sample of 309 children with and without ADHD (Mage = 10.34, SD = 1.42; 123 girls; 69.6% White Not Hispanic or Latino). Bias-corrected, bootstrapped latent path analyses revealed that working memory and organizational skills together accounted for 100% of the academic achievement (d = -1.09) and 80.6% of the academic performance (d = -0.58) difficulties exhibited by children with ADHD. Working memory (d = -0.95 to -0.26), organizational skills (d = -0.30 to -0.11), and shared variance across working memory and organizational skills (d = -0.13 to -0.06) each independently predicted ADHD-related difficulties in both academic achievement and performance outcomes. These findings are consistent with models suggesting that working memory has downstream consequences for functional impairments in ADHD, as well as evidence that organizational skills and working memory are each important predictors of ADHD-related academic functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementation of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) as Remediation for Academic Underachievement in Anatomy for Medical Undergraduates

Implementation of Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) as Remediation for Academic Underachievement in Anatomy for Medical Undergraduates

Using Data Mining Applications to Analyze the Grades of Students in the Department of Construction and Civil Engineering: A Case Study at the Higher Institute of Science and Technology – Kufra

This study presents to analyze the grades of students in the department of construction and civil engineering in the department of construction and civil engineering, specializing in architectural drawing and surveying, from the Spring semester (2006-2007) until the Fall semester (2010-2011). The goal was to understand the factors influencing students' grades, as well as the lack of interest in the department due to the difficulty in obtaining grades of previous graduates. To address the issue of student data accumulation. The study also sought to explore various methods to achieve specific results and establish a digital repository of student data to support decision-makers in understanding student outcomes. The significance of the study lies in predicting and analyzing students' grades in the department of construction and civil engineering, as well as understanding students' lack of interest and identifying weaknesses in academic courses. The present study employed an analytical research methodology. The K-Means Clustering Algorithm was used for data mining to identify factors leading to academic underachievement. the study results showed that a repetition of subjects within the curriculum for architectural drawing and surveying for more than one academic semester or course. The study results also showed that the differences in students' grades between the architectural drawing and surveying branches, with the architectural drawing branch having higher grades at 6.65 compared to 5.56 for the surveying branch. Then the study recommended the necessity of building a database for the institute's students and conducting a balance between the subjects and courses for the students of the architectural drawing department, as well as conducting workshops to update the study materials.

Overcoming socioeconomic adversity: Academic resilience in mathematics achievement among children and adolescents in Ireland.

Although socioeconomic disadvantage is linked with academic underachievement, many children from low-income backgrounds perform well in school. Which modifiable factors predict this academic resilience? We examine between- and within-person predictors of one important academic metric - mathematics performance - across adolescence in 1715 (796 male, 919 female) youth living in poverty in Ireland, using data from three waves (9, 13, and 17/18 years) of the Growing Up in Ireland study. Using linear mixed models, math performance was worse when adolescents had more socioemotional and behavioural difficulties, more child-parent relationship conflict, parents had lower expectations of the adolescent's educational achievement, and when primary caregivers had less education. Adolescents who had better intellectual self-concept and attended a non-disadvantaged school had greater math performance. This research adds to the growing body of work suggesting academic resilience is dynamic and multisystemic; it provides potential targets at multiple levels to promote such resilience.

Exploring the genetic prediction of academic underachievement and overachievement

Academic underachievement refers to school performance which falls below expectations. Focusing on the pivotal first stage of education, we explored a quantitative measure of underachievement using genomically predicted achievement delta (GPAΔ), which reflects the difference between observed and expected achievement predicted by genome-wide polygenic scores. We analyzed the relationship between GPAΔ at age 7 and achievement trajectories from ages 7 to 16, using longitudinal data from 4175 participants in the Twins Early Development Study to assess empirically the extent to which students regress to their genomically predicted levels by age 16. We found that the achievement of underachievers and overachievers who deviated from their genomic predictions at age 7 regressed on average by one-third towards their genomically predicted levels. We also found that GPAΔ at age 7 was as predictive of achievement trajectories as a traditional ability-based index of underachievement. Targeting GPAΔ underachievers might prove cost-effective because such interventions seem more likely to succeed by going with the genetic flow rather than swimming upstream, helping GPAΔ underachievers reach their genetic potential as predicted by their GPS. However, this is a hypothesis that needs to be tested in intervention research investigating whether GPAΔ underachievers respond better to the intervention than other underachievers. We discuss the practicality of genomic indices in assessing underachievement.

Determinants of Performance of Private Schools: the Mediating Role of Education and Reformation in Jiangxi, China

This study investigates the determinants of performance failure in private schools and proposes strategies for improvement, focusing on the mediating role of education modernization in Jiangxi, China. Grounded in a positivism research philosophy and employing a deductive approach, the study adopts an explanatory research design to explore causal relationships. Primary data is collected through surveys from 250 educational leaders, with a population of 5000 stakeholders. Statistical and descriptive analyses are conducted using SPSS. Findings reveal academic underachievement, financial instability, and stakeholder dissatisfaction as key facets of performance failure. Authentic leadership, knowledge management strategies, and technology advancement emerge as critical drivers of performance enhancement. Moreover, education modernization acts as a mediator, bridging challenges and performance outcomes. The study proposes a model for addressing these challenges and improving performance in Jiangxi's private schools.

Predictors of Housing Insecurity in Young Adulthood

Housing insecurity is concerning at any age, but the prevalence and predictors of young adult housing insecurity are poorly described. Multivariable regression analyses using cross-national longitudinal data from a population-based sample tested prospective associations between various adolescent predictors and young adult housing insecurity. Participants from Washington State (United States) and Victoria (Australia) were surveyed at ages 13, 14 and 15 (2002–2004) and 25 and 29 years (2014–15, 2018–19; N = 1945; 46% female). The prevalence of housing insecurity was 9%. Multivariable predictors of housing insecurity included living in Washington State, antisocial behavior, a history of school suspension, and academic underachievement. School suspension was more strongly related to insecure housing in Washington State than in Victoria. Future analyses should explore state policy differences and risk and protective processes within social-ecological contexts to identify population-level modifiable upstream risk factors for housing insecurity that can be targeted earlier in the life course.

A novel approach to mitigate academic underachievement in higher education: Feature selection, classifier performance, and interpretability in predicting student performance

The main goal of this study is to address the ongoing problem of low academic performance in higher education by using machine learning techniques. We use a dataset from a higher education institution that includes various information available at student enrollment, such as academic history, demographics, and socio-economic factors. To address this issue, we introduce a new method that combines the Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA) for efficient feature selection with a Forest-Optimized Neural Network (FO-NN) Classifier. Our method aims to identify students at risk of academic failure early. Using the SMA, we simplify the feature selection process, identifying important attributes for accurate predictions. The Forest Optimization technique improves the classification process by optimizing the neural network model. The experimental results of this study show that our proposed method is effective, with significant improvements in feature selection accuracy and notable enhancements in the predictive performance of the neural network classifier. By selecting a subset of relevant features, our approach deals with high-dimensional datasets and greatly improves the quality and interpretability of predictive models. The innovative combination of the SMA and the FO-NN classifier increases accuracy, interpretability, and the ability to generalize in predicting student performance. This work contributes to a more effective strategy for reducing academic underachievement in higher education.

Investigating changes in prevailing mental states among students with different levels of academic performance

Introduction. The difficulties of the adaptation period increase the level of anxiety and psychological stress in students and negatively affect academic performance of first-year students. Despite the fact that recent studies have identified a wide range of conceptually different correlates of academic success, the problem of mental states of first-year students in the context of assessing their learning outcomes remains insufficiently studied in theoretical and empirical terms. Therefore, the problem of identifying a risk group for academic underachievement and maintaining the student population does not lose its relevance. The purpose of the study is to identify students’ mental states determining levels of academic performance. Materials and Methods. In order to identify the characteristics of students’ mental states, mental states were assessed at psychophysiological, psychological and socio-psychological levels. The authors used the following methods: Lemur-Tessier-Fillion ‘Psychological Stress Scale PSM-25’ adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova (2009), PSM-25 scale, method for determining neuropsychic stability, risk of maladaptation in stress ‘Forecast-2’ (V. Yu. Rybnikov), reactive (situational) and personal anxiety scale (Ch. D. Spielberger, 1973), adapted by Yu.L. Khanin, (1978), L.V. Kulikova’s methods for identifying the dominant and current states, methods for evaluating socio-psychological adaptation by K. Rogers, R. Diamond, (1954), adapted by T. V. Snegireva (1987) and by A. K. Osnitsky. The study involved 56 1st year full-time students of the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, Physics and Technology at Omsk State Pedagogical University. Results. The authors identified scales of methods for mental states assessment: ‘tone’, ‘activation-deactivation’, ‘situational anxiety’, ‘psychological stress’, which revealed statistically significant changes in students demonstrating different levels of academic performance. The authors revealed differences in prevailing mental states in students with different academic performance. Conclusions. The mental states of students identified in this study can be used in designing a programme of socio-psychological support for first-year students aimed at identifying the risks of maladjustment and a decrease in academic performance. Limitations. Limitations of the study include a small sample of students of one faculty and one-time use. It is necessary to check the possibility of extending the hypothesis to students of other faculties.

Confronting Conundrums of Care in College Student Advising

At colleges and universities throughout the United States, academic advisors play a central role in stemming the tide of declining student enrollment and academic underachievement—especially in the wake of academic, physical, emotional, and interpersonal setbacks incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many undergraduates, the mentoring relationship with their academic advisor provides the longest lasting and deepest connection with a faculty or staff member throughout their college experience. Increasingly, the expectations that institutions and students place on academic advisors have escalated far beyond simply guiding course selection and checking fulfillment of graduation requirements. While this more holistic approach to advising can cultivate a greater sense of belonging, it also places the advisors in a precarious position as the parameters of their responsibilities and the extent of caregiving continue to broaden. The ever-expanding expectations of caregiving placed on college academic advisors exemplify how pandemic-informed labor practices across many workplaces inadequately acknowledge caregivers while the care recipients may become overly dependent. This study investigates how advising evolves to become an extrapolation of the caregiving demands socially placed upon women in traditional, patriarchally structured families and workplaces. Using methods derived from critical incident theory that identify systemic crisis points and opportunities for intervention, the authors examine narratives of two women who serve as the lead advisors for their departments in southeastern United States universities. Their narratives delineate two double binds. First, the presumably bottomless reservoir of care demanded from women places nurturance of students in tension with career advancement and other care responsibilities (e.g., self and family). Second, setting boundaries to caregiving may generate accusations of insensitivity, but boundless care can accommodate and encourage learned helplessness among students. The investigation concludes with suggestions to reform institutional policies and build student resilience that equips them to learn independently.

Lifestyle, Gender and Academic Underachievement in English Language Among Students with Learning Disabilities

This study investigated the impact of lifestyle and gender on academic under-achievement in English language among students with learning difficulties. A survey-based descriptive research design was utilized. The population for this study comprises all pupils with learning difficulties in the Oyo North Senatorial District of Oyo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling approach was employed to pick five local governments within the senatorial district. Within each local government, a simple random sample technique was utilized to select two secondary schools. This resulted in a total of ten schools included in the study. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to pick a total of two hundred and eighty-seven (287) individuals, with twenty-nine participants chosen from each school. A questionnaire was employed to obtain information about the lifestyle of students with learning disabilities. Additionally, the Mychebust learning disabilities rating scale (with a correlation coefficient of 0.76) and an English language accomplishment exam were utilized to identify students with specific learning difficulties who have not reached their full potential in English language proficiency. Two hypotheses were proposed, with the first one being examined at a significance level of 0.01 and the second one being tested at significance levels of 0.01 and 0.05. The instrument life-style questionnaire (LSQ) demonstrated a reliability coefficient of r=0.86. The study's findings indicated notable correlations between lifestyle and academic underperformance in students with learning difficulties. Additionally, gender disparities in academic underachievement were observed among the participants. The following recommendations were given: students with learning difficulties should receive appropriate guidance on how to lead a positive and resilient lifestyle. Furthermore, it is crucial for teachers to instruct students in the attentive and accurate repetition and recognition of challenging English vocabulary.

국어과 학습부진에 대한 국어 교사 인식 연구

Purpose: This research aimed to investigate the perceptions of Korean language teachers, who are practitioners of Korean language education, regarding the learning difficulties in the Korean language subject. By doing so, it sought to identify the specific patterns of perception regarding learning difficulties in the field and explore possible improvement measures to address these difficulties.
 Methods: In this study, a total of twenty-eight survey questions (including three open-ended questions) were developed through a two-step review process. The survey was conducted over a period of approximately two weeks, targeting 105 current Korean language teachers. The collected data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, including response frequencies, means, and standard deviations. Additionally, a verification of perception differences across schools of employment was conducted.
 Results: According to the analysis results, the levels of policy awareness and perception of the suitability of selection methods were relatively low. In terms of factor-specific perception, the perception index for factors related to the definition domain was high. Among the language subjects, the writing area had the highest level of reported learning difficulties, particularly in terms of vocabulary proficiency among the learning factors within each subject area. Teachers considered the low motivation and lack of learning willingness in their students to be the biggest challenges in instruction. They also had a slightly lower perception of the adequacy of the current remedial education program. As improvement measures, teachers perceived the following factors positively: selective measures based on teacher interviews and observations, implementation of remedial education for lower-grade middle school students, vocabulary enhancement, and appropriate content for teacher training.
 Conclusion: In order to effectively implement policies related to academic underachievement, it is necessary to increase teachers' level of policy awareness and diversify methods for selecting underperforming students. It is necessary to carefully consider the level and pattern of underachievement, synchronize defining factors, strengthen writing and vocabulary learning, focus on corrective education in the lower grades to prevent underachievement, and specialize the contents of teacher training considering the school level.

Impact of low birth weight on academic attainment during adolescence: A comprehensive retrospective cohort study using linked data

BackgroundThis study addresses a critical knowledge gap by exploring the intricate relationship between low birth weight (LBW) and the heightened risk of suboptimal academic achievement during adolescence through a comprehensive retrospective cohort design. MethodsIn this registry-based cohort study, meticulously linked health and curriculum-based test data for individuals born in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, between 2003 and 2005 were employed. Birth weight data were carefully sourced from the NSW perinatal data collection (PDC). The educational performance of offspring was thoroughly evaluated using the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) during grade 9, approximately at 14 years of age. ResultsAfter rigorous adjustments for potential confounders, findings revealed a compelling narrative: LBW adolescents demonstrated an elevated susceptibility to not meeting national minimum standards across all domains, encompassing spelling [OR, 1.59 (95%CI 1.48–1.69)], writing [OR, 1.51 (95%CI 1.41–1.61)], reading [OR, 1.38 (95%CI 1.29–1.48)], and numeracy [OR, 1.52 (95%CI 1.40–1.63)]. Notably, LBW boys exhibited a more pronounced inclination towards diminished academic performance compared to their female counterparts. ConclusionsThis comprehensive retrospective cohort study, based on linked data, unequivocally establishes LBW as significantly associated with an increased vulnerability to substandard educational achievement during adolescence. Particularly robust effects were observed in females across all outcomes. Aimed at investigating whether LBW serves as a predictive factor for later academic difficulties, this study underscores the imperative for the adoption and fortification of preventative and early intervention strategies to curtail the prevalence of LBW-associated academic underachievement in later adolescence.

Beyond prolonged grief: Exploring the unique nature of complicated grief in bereaved children

This article argues that the current approach to diagnosing complicated grief in children overlooks important social and personal factors that impact how children react to and cope with death. Family dynamics, community support, and individual reactions should all be considered when assessing and providing care. The article recommends a multifaceted approach to grief diagnosis that considers the child’s social environment. Helping parents navigate their own grief can support their child, and schools should create a welcoming and sensitive environment for bereaved children. By addressing these factors, negative consequences, such as social withdrawal, academic underachievement, and poor wellbeing, can be reduced.

Breaking ground on ADHD diagnosis in Pakistan.

Madam, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder – better known as ADHD - is a prevalent childhood behavioural disorder, estimated to have a prevalence between 2-7% globally [1]. Despite this high prevalence and its rising number of annual cases, ADHD underdiagnosed, especially in adolescent females and older children [1]. Undiagnosed ADHD has adverse effects on many aspects of a person’s life, including, but not limited to, social skills, time perception, stress management, and mood disorders. Meta-analysis evidence shows that childhood ADHD confers an elevated risk for depression across clinic-referred and community-based samples (Meinzer, Pettit, & Viswesvaran, 2014) [2]. Consequently, these patients face academic underachievement, hindrance in employment, relationships troubles and in extreme cases, criminality. A study published in PLOS One established that despite early onset and greater prevalence of ADHD in young males, symptoms tend to diminish compared to that of females [3]. It is proposed that ADHD in adult males is characterised by a lesser recognised form that does not include hyperactive-impulsive symptoms and, therefore, has more chance of going undiagnosed and unrecorded. This explains why it seems as if ADHD symptoms tend to diminish in males [3]. Newer research also speculates that a subset of women might be presenting with an adult-onset form of ADHD [3], contradicting historical concepts that ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that always emerges in childhood. That being said, a possibility remains that the increased number of cases in adult women might just be undiagnosed women 'catching up', supported by a review study that concluded increased ADHD identification in adult women compared to during childhood [2]. Pakistan has a severe lack of research and awareness regarding neurodivergence and ADHD. This explains why diagnosis and therapy for these patients using standardized behavioural rating scales and complete psychological evaluation is highly uncommon. The medical community of Pakistan needs to combat this by breaking the stigma surrounding neurodivergence and raising awareness about what ADHD is and what challenges it poses to undiagnosed patients. Early-on primary school screening of children can increase diagnosis and promote the provision of better opportunities to neurodivergent individuals to improve their standard of educational and work life.

Impulsive and compulsive reading comprehension in the prison population

BackgroundDevelopmental dyslexia is characterized by reading and writing deficits that persist into adulthood. Dyslexia is strongly associated with academic underachievement, as well as impulsive, compulsive, and criminal behaviors.The aims of this study were to investigate impulsive or compulsive reading comprehension, analyzing the differences in reading errors between two distinct groups —one with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and another with Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and examine their correlation with criminal behavior within a prison population.MethodsWe gathered data from 194 participants: 81 with ASPD and 113 with OCPD from a prison center. Participants took part in interviews to gather data on demographic, criminal, and behavioral data. Additionally, the participants underwent various assessments, including the International Examination for Personality Disorders; Symptom Inventory, and Battery for the Assessment of Reading Processes in Secondary and High School – Revised.ResultsOur analysis revealed differences in reading skills between the ASPD and OCPD groups. Specifically, the OCPD group showed poorer performance on lexical selection, semantic categorization, grammar structures, grammatical judgements, and expository comprehension when compared with the ASPD group. Conversely, the OCPD group obtained higher scores on narrative comprehension relative to the ASPD group.ConclusionsThe OCPD group showed slow lexical-phonological coding and phonological activation.

Social representation of academic underachievement among primary school students: a teachers’ perspective

Successful school adjustment is a key factor for the developmental trajectory of children and adolescents. Today’s global society is characterized by rapid economic, social and cultural changes. Therefore, academic underachievement is a risk factor that can negatively impact the transition from childhood to adulthood. This study examines the social representation that teachers have of academic underachievement among primary school students. The participants (N = 81; average length of service = 15.4 years) completed a standardized task based on the free association technique. The universe of associations was structured using lexical-semantic analysis, as well as prototypical analysis. The results indicate a clustering of associations along two dimensions regarding the causes and consequences of academic underachievement. The findings are analyzed with reference to practical measures that can be adopted to prevent and reduce academic underachievement.

Maternal Perinatal-Provoked Psychological Disorders: Adverse Impact on School-Age Children, Neurodevelopment, Education, and Intervention Strategies

This review explores the relationship between maternal psychological disorders and their impact on a child’s academic performance. Maternal conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder can disrupt neurodevelopmental processes during pregnancy, affecting the formation of crucial neural circuits for cognitive functions. The consequences extend into early childhood, with compromised maternal-infant interactions leading to challenges in forming secure attachments and, subsequently, cognitive and attentional difficulties.As children enter formal education, the repercussions intensify, with an increased risk of academic underachievement, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Genetic predispositions and environmental factors, including inconsistent routines and limited parental involvement, further exacerbate academic challenges. Interventions, including early identification and multidisciplinary collaboration, emerge as crucial strategies.Psychoeducation programs aimed at reducing stigma and enhancing awareness can foster a supportive community for early intervention.The review also addresses the prevalence and impact of psychological disorders during pregnancy, emphasizing depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Biological and psychosocial factors contribute to their development, affecting maternal health, fetal development, and prenatal care. The impact extends to the child, manifesting in neonatal and developmental effects. Resources and treatment options, including counseling and psychotherapy, are discussed, along with the limitations and challenges in current practices.Diagnosis of psychological disorders during pregnancy involves recognizing clinical indications, utilizing screening tools, and integrating mental health assessments into prenatal care. The role of healthcare providers, educators, and community support networks is highlighted, emphasizing a collaborative approach. Limitations, challenges, and considerations for future research are explored, advocating for improved access to mental health resources and addressing socioeconomic and cultural disparities. The conclusion underscores the urgency of addressing maternal psychological disorders, urging comprehensive, evidence-based interventions and collaborative efforts for better outcomes in maternal mental healthcare.