The purpose of this thesis was to survey the experiences of personal support activities from the mental health rehabilitees’ perspective organised in the Forssa Association of Mental Health. The aim of the survey was to obtain information for the Association about their support activities to help them develop and improve the quality of service they offer to their customers.

The research method was a qualitative survey study. The data were collected by open questions, using a questionnaire. Respondents were clients of the Forssa Mental Health Association participating in personal support activities. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis.

According to the results, personal support activities need more supporters, support relationships should be longer and supported persons mostly feel sad when the support relationship ends. A supporter is needed to ease loneliness, to keep company in daily life. The supported person gets self-confidence and capabilities from personal support activities. The supporters are usually regarded as kind and helpful, but a suitable supporter cannot always be found.

Improvement proposals arising from the results were: increasing the number of support persons, finding a suitable supporter for each supported person, continuing the support relationship with the same supporter longer and evaluating the need of support after the support relationship ends.

For follow-up study it is proposed to study where and how long-term support staff could be reached to join support activities and what would motivate them. The supported persons’ attachment to supporter could be studied as well as how the supported would have had enough capabilities for independent survival after the support relationship ends.