Abstract: Objective To explore the application of Diminished Criminal Responsibility Rating Scale(DCRRS) to mental retardation offenders.Methods The DCRRS was used to 121 cases of mental retardation offend-ers who were divided into three groups according to the degree of their diminished criminal responsibility.Results There were significant differences in rating score among the three groups(mild group 22.12±4.69,moderate group 25.50±5.48,major group 27.59±5.69),and 17 items had good correlation with the total score of the scale with the correlation coefficient from 0.289 to 0.665.Six factors were extracted by the factor analysis,and 69.392% variation could be explained.Conclusion The DCRRS has rational items,its total score could show the difference among the three degree diminished criminal responsibility of mental retardation offenders.

Key words: forensic psychiatry, mental retardation, diminished criminal responsibility, rating scale