To determine what factors either alone or together interact to create ethnic variations in mental health care use in the State of Hawaii, a study interviewed subjects who were randomly selected from the higher income area of Diamond Head/Kahala and the lower income area of Kalihi/Palama. Ethnic groups studied included Caucasian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Hawaiian/part Hawaiian. The interviewees were of the same sex and ethnic extraction as the persons they interviewed. Responses indicated the following: (1) no significant differences among ethnic groups on what constitutes a "problem" but significant ethnic differences in the quality and the ranking of problems experienced; (2) no significant ethnic differences in the occurrence of stress symptoms during either the open-ended or the structured portions of the interview; (3) no significant differences between ethnic groups in regard to help-seeking behaviors; (4) significantly more male worry and sleeplessness over job-related problems but significantly more female depression, anger, and physical distress from family problems; and (5) no significant group differences in the level of satisfaction with help received. Appendixes include listings of respondents' occupations by ethnic group, types and frequency of problems, and frequencies of help-seeking behaviors cited. (HOD)