This article reviews research conducted on the cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drug use of adolescents and adults with mental retardation (MR). The majority of the research related to substance use conducted on this population has been limited to surveys. Overall, results of these studies suggest that, although substance use is slightly lower among those with MR than among nondisabled comparison groups, it is nonetheless a problem for many individuals. This research is reviewed and a discussion of both the general and specific flaws of these studies follows. Further, the examination of education, prevention, and treatment programs for this population has been overlooked, indicating that individuals with MR are likely not receiving the services most appropriate for them. The article concludes with a discussion of several topics that need to be addressed in future studies, including research on potential best practices in the overlooked areas of substance abuse interventions.

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Individuals living with a pathological-gambling partner can experience significant psychological distress. In this report, we conduct a preliminary evaluation of a coping skills training program (CST) for this population. Twenty-three individuals experiencing stress from living with a pathological-gambling partner who was not in treatment were randomly assigned to either CST or a delayed treatment control (DTC) condition. CST consisted of ten, weekly individual sessions to teach more effective coping skills. At the end of the treatment/delay period, CST participants, relative to those in DTC, showed a large improvement in coping skillfulness that appeared to mediate a corresponding large significant reduction in depression and anxiety relative to DTC. Partner gambling during the period decreased in both conditions but did not differ between them, nor did partner help-seeking differ. CST shows promise as an effective treatment for individuals distressed as a result of a partner's gambling problem. Larger, longer-term evaluations of the intervention, and comparison with alternate treatment models are needed.

This research examined antecedents of short-term success in mediation. Seventy-three hearings were observed at two community dispute resolution centers in New York State. Measures of short-term success were: reaching agreement, goal achievement, and immediate satisfaction with the agreement and with the conduct of the hearing. Results indicated that the likelihood of short-term success increased with disputant joint problem solving and decreased with disputant hostile and contending behavior and the prominence of intangible issues in the case. Satisfaction with the hearing increased with disputants' involvement in a continuing relationship; and goal achievement and both types of satisfaction decreased with escalation of the conflict prior to hearing. As predicted, joint problem solving increased with involvement in a continuing relationship and decreased with disputants' hostile and contentious behavior, the prominence of intangible issues, and escalation of the conflict prior to the hearing. Five mediator behaviors were either unrelated or negatively related to short-term success: providing reassurance, displaying expertise, keeping order, criticizing, and asking embarrassing questions. Mediator behaviors that were positively related to short-term success were those that demonstrated empathy, structured the discussion, and stimulated thinking. Multiple regression analyses revealed several interactions of mediator behaviors with disputant behaviors and prior conditions in predicting agreement and goal achievement.

This article reports the results of a study of the antecedents of long-term success in community mediation. Seventy-three mediation sessions were recorded and content analyzed. The participants were interviewed at two points: immediately after mediation and 4 to 8 months later. No relationship was found between the quality of the agreements~i.e., the extent to which they solved immediate problem.~--and Ioag-term success as measured by compliance, improved relations between the parties, and the absence of new problems. On the other hand,joint problem solving by the disputants was related to complainant perceptions of improved relations with the other party. Also respondent perceptions that the mediation had been fair and that all the problems had come out were related to all aspects of long-term success in the eyes of the complainant. The latter results support a procedural justice analysis of mediation and underline the importance of mediator attention to the respondent, * This report is based on papers given at the 1989 conferences of the following associations: the Academy of Management, the American Psychological Association, and the International Association for Conflict Management. The research reported in this article was supported by National Science Foundation grants Nos. BNS8309167 and SES8520084. We are particularly indebted to Jo M. Zubek, who provided intellectual guidance at many points in time. We also wish to thank for their advice and support Charles Underhill, President of the Better Business Foundation of Western New York, Inc.