This article discusses the similarities & differences between psychiatry in the Northwest Territories & psychiatry in the southern populations. Such observations are then integrated into planning mental health services. Availability of care providers is 1 way to assess adequacy of service, suicide rates are a way to evaluate the mental health of a population, & rates of hospital admissions in a population are a way to assess the state & management of the mental health in an area. (LC) (1 ref)