The concepts of mental health and illness of the Inuit of Nunavik (Northern Quebec) were studied through ethnographic interviews, participant observation and a questionnaire survey. The research involved the participation of the community in the selection of survey sites and the identification of appropnate problems for study. Three communities differing in their existing resources and average level of acculturation were studied. Three types of research interview were conducted, corresponding to distinct parts of the project: (1) problem identification interviews with Inuit health care and community workers identified the range of problems in the community and the usual terminology used to describe them, resulting in a list of specific registers of problematic behavior; (2) problem register interviews with key informants from the community identified the perceived prevalence of problems in the community and the typical signs and symptoms associated with each type of behavior or problem; (3) case history interviews with key informants reconstructed detailed accounts of cases1 with which they were personally familiar.