The National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) is released as part of the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), which provide data on the distribution, correlations, and risk factors of mental disorders among the general population, with an emphasis on minority groups. The survey aimed to provide national information on the characteristics of mental illness, and the use of care services by Latinos and Asian Americans. It was conducted between May 2002 and November 2003. Survey respondents were required to be eighteen years or older and living in the non-institutionalized popultation of the United States. The questionaire was administered in one of five languages of the repondent's choosing. The final sample consisted of 2,554 Latino respondents and 2,095 Asian respondents, with further stratification into ethnic subgroups, in order to facilitate data analysis and assessment of disparities in mental health by 2010.