A catalyst for a hydrogenation reaction including: a polymer support; and a catalytic component supported on the polymer support. The polymer support comprises a repeating unit represented by Formula 1.

A catalyst for a hydrogenation reaction including: a polymer support; and a catalytic component supported on the polymer support. The polymer support comprises a repeating unit represented by Formula 1.

A method for producing polyarylene sulfide that can have a high melt viscosity while suppressing ultra-fine powder generation. The method for producing polyarylene sulfide includes: (1) preparing a prepared mixture containing an organic polar solvent, a sulfur source, and a dihalo aromatic compound; (2) initiating a polymerization reaction by heating the prepared mixture to produce a prepolymer; (3) adding water as a phase separation agent to a reaction mixture in a reaction system to form a phase-separated state; and (4) continuing the polymerization reaction after phase separation. In the method, when a dihalo aromatic compound conversion ratio is 80 mass % or greater and 93 mass % or less and after the prepolymer reaches a weight average molecular weight of 10000 or greater in the first-stage polymerization step, an aromatic compound having 3 or more halogen atoms bonded to an aromatic ring is added to the reaction mixture.