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The objectives of the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) are to investigate the nature, severity, and impairment of mental disorders among national samples of the black and non‐Hispanic white (n = 1,006) populations in the US. Special emphasis in the study is given to the nature of race and ethnicity within the black population by selecting and interviewing national samples of African‐American (N = 3,570), and Afro‐Caribbean (N = 1,623) immigrant and second and older generation populations. National multi‐stage probability methods were used in generating the samples and race/ethnic matching of interviewers and respondents were used in the largely face‐to‐face interview, which lasted on average 2 hours and 20 minutes. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV World Mental Health Composite Interview (WHO‐CIDI) was used to assess a wide range of serious mental disorders, potential risk …