Discussion
The data from the present study show high
levels of potential mental health problems in parents
of children with autism, especially mothers.
Also at the descriptive level, there were only weak
and nonsignificant associations between parents
of the same child, suggesting that mothers and
fathers may be affected differently by their child,
as has been indicated in previous research. Hierarchical
regression analyses helped to elucidate
one mechanism by which parents may be affected
differently by their child's behavior problems.
These analyses identified self-efficacy as a mediator
of the relationship between child behavior
problems and mothers' anxiety and depression,
but not fathers' anxiety and depression. Conversely,
self-efficacy moderated the effect of child behavior
problems on fathers' anxiety. Fathers with
high self-efficacy were less anxious than were
those with low self-efficacy when their child had
a high level of behavior problems. When their
child had low levels of behavior problems, father's
self-efficacy had no effect on their anxiety. There