The question whether an offender's mental impairment deprived him of the capacity to understand or control his actions (the test for criminal responsibility) is very different from the question whether moral culpability is lessened for sentencing purposes; a finding that the offender was criminally responsible does not determine the weight to be given to mental illness in mitigation. Where mental illness worsens over the period of offending, its mitigating effect may be greater for later offending than earlier offending. Common psychological difficulties such as depression, financial stress and maladaptive coping strategies, while relevant, are on their own capable of producing only a relatively modest reduction in sentence.
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