Today adult patients' relatives are seen as a resource in psychiatric care but few researchers have examined the lived experience of relatives' participation in psychiatric care. The aim of this study was to illuminate how mental health staff and relatives of adult patients experienced the relatives' participation in psychiatric care on hospital ward. The study was guided by a phenomenological approach and a lifeworld perspective. Data were collected through in-deep interviews with ten adult patients' relatives and three group-interviews with ten mental health carers from two hospitals in Sweden. The essence of the lived experience of relatives' participation in psychiatric care in hospital ward is described in the constituents: invitation to participate in psychiatric care; meet the staffs' care; to participate in own or others terms; bring the common everyday world with you; feel burden; participation a trip in time and space. The findings of the study show that the relation between the staff and the relatives are important for the relatives' participation in psychiatric care. The relatives' participation can alter from no participation to a meaningsful participation, from suffering to well-being. This study can help medical staff to understand relatives and their participation in a new way.

<p>Today adult patients' relatives are seen as a resource in psychiatric care but few researchers have examined the lived experience of relatives' participation in psychiatric care. The aim of this study was to illuminate how mental health staff and relatives of adult patients experienced the relatives' participation in psychiatric care on hospital ward.</p><p>The study was guided by a phenomenological approach and a lifeworld perspective. Data were collected through in-deep interviews with ten adult patients' relatives and three group-interviews with ten mental health carers from two hospitals in Sweden.</p><p>The essence of the lived experience of relatives' participation in psychiatric care in hospital ward is described in the constituents: invitation to participate in psychiatric care; meet the staffs' care; to participate in own or others terms; bring the common everyday world with you; feel burden; participation a trip in time and space. The findings of the study show that the relation between the staff and the relatives are important for the relatives' participation in psychiatric care. The relatives' participation can alter from no participation to a meaningsful participation, from suffering to well-being.</p><p>This study can help medical staff to understand relatives and their participation in a new way.</p>