Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41545988›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2026

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

Xiaowen Lu, Kaiheng Zhu, Haoxue Wang, Zhen Xiang, Shuai Zhao, Rundong Liu, Jun Tang, Ranran Song

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xiaowen Lu *Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan Psychology Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Kaiheng Zhu *Department of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Haoxue WangDepartment of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Zhen XiangDepartment of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Shuai ZhaoDepartment of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Rundong LiuDepartment of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Jun TangWuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan Psychology Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. tangjun_9023@163.com.
Ranran SongDepartment of Maternal and Child Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China. songranran@hust.edu.cn.

Funding

Cross-disciplinary Research Center Project 2024GWCX003National Natural Science Foundation of China 82473656
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 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.

methodsThe 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.

resultsReading 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.

conclusionsReading 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.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionDyslexiaParentingParentsProblem BehaviorStress, PsychologicalAdolescentChildChinaFemaleFollow-Up StudiesGeneralized Anxiety DisorderHumansMaleChildrenEmotional and behavioral problemsMediation effectParenting stressReading problems

Identifiers

PMID41545988
PMCPMC12896328

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.