This thesis has examined the purpose of next of kin-involvement in the mental health- field, including which expectations, that at present are being communicated out to the next of kin in the next of kin-offers, and how these expectations affect the next of kin. Next of kin-involvement is understood as related to the overarching community planning. To understand the development in welfare, we have to understand the next of kin- involvement and the knowledge that lies as a basis for the prioritization of next of kin- involvement. Following thesis therefore contains critical discourseanalysis from selected policy-documents, an E-learning-course from Bedre Psykiatri, interviews with professionals, who organizes and work with next of kin-involvement and finally, interviews with them, who it’s all about – the next of kin themselves. Through our data- material, we discovered that there has been a shift from talking about service to self- reliance, which has had an impact on the planning of the social work and its efforts. The development in the mental health area in the welfare-thinking minted itself in the recovery-thought, which is intended to invest in people with a mental health disease and increase their capacity, so they become more self-reliant. The next of kin receives a more active role in connection to that, as the main argument is that next of kin-involvement creates a better recovery-prognosis for their sick next of kin. Therefore, investments are now being made in the next of kin, through next of kin-involvement so they can continue to be a support for their sick next of kin. This both has a emancipatory and humanizing aim, but also speaks into streamlining, outsourcing of welfare and further more accountability of individuals. There is thus an ideological and dominating discourse pertaining to if the next of kin-involvement can be a part of making the welfare both cheaper and better. What is absent from the discourse, however, is whether next of kin- involvement can contain any implications for those involved. We found, based on our interviews with the professionals and the next of kin, that there is an assumption that the next of kin themselves can optimize their own and their sick next of kins welfare. The next of kin-involvement is thus given the task of ‘equipping’ the next of kin for their roles as next of kin, instead of ‘relieving’ them. This then brings the consequence, that there are next of kin who feel helped by the next of kin-involvement whilst there are other next of kins for whom the next of kin-involvement constitutes an additional burden.