Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Association between General Psychopathology Factor and Reading Achievement in Chinese School-aged Children: The Effects of Puberty Status and Genetic Risk

Mental health and reading achievement are critical and dynamically interconnected in child development. This study investigated associations between general psychopathology factor (p-factor) and reading achievement in 1,057 Chinese school-aged children (Mage = 9.41, SD = 1.75; 45.51% female). Longitudinal analyses showed that higher p-factor predicted lower future reading achievement. Puberty status, rather than chronological age, moderated this relationship, with stronger predictive effect of p-factor on reading after puberty onset. Furthermore, the polygenic risk score for p-factor predicted lower reading achievement at puberty onset, suggesting puberty may amplify this genetic vulnerability. Results suggest that p-factor may be a developmental risk factor for reading underachievement, particularly after puberty onset. Consideration puberty status, alongside age, are important in academic and mental health interventions.