The effect of reading problems on emotional and behavioral problems in children: the chain mediating role of parenting stress and parental anxiety/depressive symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to examine the association between emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) and reading problems, and further explore the potential mediating role of parenting stress and parental anxiety/depressive symptoms in the association. METHODS: The study employed a two-wave follow-up design and included a total of 2,752 children (6.59 to 13.84 years old) in China. Measures included the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children (DCCC), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to evaluate children’s reading problems, children’s EBP, parenting stress, parental anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. The mediation model was tested using SPSS PROCESS Macro 3.3 software. RESULTS: Reading problems were positively associated with EBP in children, including emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems. Furthermore, parents of children with more reading problems experienced higher levels of parenting stress (β = 0.30, 95% CI:0.26 to 0.34), anxiety (β = 0.07, 95% CI:0.05 to 0.08), and depressive symptoms (β = 0.06, 95% CI:0.05 to 0.08). Mediation analysis revealed that parenting stress and parental anxiety/depressive symptoms had a chain mediation effect in the association between reading problems and EBP in children. CONCLUSIONS: Reading problems in children are linked to an increased risk of various EBP. Interventions targeting the reduction of parenting stress and addressing negative parental emotions can mitigate the EBP risk of children with reading problems.