Abstract
Mental disability is one of the most significant health problems facing Europe today. For example Statistics reveal that between 20 and 40 percent of the Swedish population suffer from some forms of mental disease, ranging from grave psychoses to less serious anxiety and fear. This study has aimed to illuminate the experiences of relativeś in terms of contacts with persons with mental disabilities. Eighteen tape-recorded interviews were conducted with close relatives of persons suffering from mental disabilities within the health care district of Umeå, Sweden. The results indicate that the daily lives guilt about not providing enough support for their relatives. In addition to feeling physically exhausted and worn out they felt as though they carried a large responsibility and lacked support and back-up in their daily life.