Caring for a child with autism is a stressful experience for parents. The daily stress of this handicap has a major impact and triggers in the parents a series of adverse psychological reactions.

To reveal sociodemographic characteristics of parents of autistic children and to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among these parents.

A cross-sectional study conducted among parents of autistic children supported by four of autistic children rehabilitation centers under the Tunisian Association for the Promotion of Mental Health. Data were collected through a questionnaire to explore the sociodemographic data of parents of autistic children. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Beck scale and anxiety symptoms by the Hamilton scale.

Fifty-two parents were collected. The middle age was 35.73 years. They lived in an urban area in 96% of cases. The majority had an average socioeconomic level (88.4%). The respective rates of depressed or anxious parents as Beck scales and Hamilton were 48% and 23%. The association between depressive and anxious symptoms was found in 19%. In addition, depression was more common in mothers (P < 10−4) and anxiety was also more evident among mothers (P = 0.01).

The presence of an autistic child causes profound changes in families and can be a source of tension and stress. The anxious and depressive impact on parents is important and frequent. The intervention that designs the psychiatrist to help children with autism should necessarily include an action for parents.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.