Mental retardation research in the Soviet Union

Twenty-six studies on mental retardation conducted in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s were reviewed: 8 focused on etiological questions; 15, on psychoeducational issues; and 3, on vocational or social policy concerns. The findings, which tend to support general trends found in the United States for individuals with mental retardation, were: higher risk factors for mental retardation for children if the mother rather than the father had mental retardation; lower levels of education, lower occupational status, and a larger number of children for families of children with mental retardation (a significant finding in a society traditionally described as classless); and significantly higher number of males than females among persons with dual diagnoses.