Beyond the Burden: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Experiences of Chinese Informal Caregivers for People Living with HIV or AIDS [Letter]

Dear editor

The article entitled “Beyond the Burden: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Experiences of Chinese Informal Caregivers for People Living with HIV or AIDS” impressed us in particular.¹ The findings of this study offer the following benefits: 1) This study is the first in China to determine the experiences and feelings of informal carers of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), thus, providing a crucial contribution to current understanding. 2) This study involved 21 informants, including families, partners, and close friends of people living with PLWHA, to obtain insights from a diverse range of carers. 3) Suggests that health services should address the psychological, physical, economic, and social burdens overcome by informal carers, in addition to focusing on PLWHA.

Nevertheless, we have also identified several constraints: 1) The study did not investigate the duration of care and the participants’ educational background. This pertains to the responsibility and ability to recover in the context of providing care for PLWHA. The geographical setting of this investigation affected the informants’ perspectives. Informants may refrain from overtly articulating their viewpoints or disclosing their apprehensions. 3) The interview took place while the patient was cared for by only one carer, which could have affected attitudes throughout the 60-minute interview. 4) The findings of this study could not be applied directly to populations in other countries since there are variations in health systems, clinical procedures in healthcare, and cultural constraints. 5) This article failed to sufficiently consider additional elements impacting carer attitudes and experiences, including personal and public stigma, HIV infectious diseases, and gender.

In order to address the limitations of this paper, it is advisable to undertake additional research that encompasses several health centres across different geographies. 2) Multi-regional prospective studies can be conducted to validate the study’s findings and enhance the generalizability of the results. 3) It is crucial to create a carer load prediction model in order to gain a deeper understanding of informal carers who care for PLWHA, including identifying risk factors.