Research methods for identifying causal effects in trauma research

What is it about?

This article introduces a special section in Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy on research methods that can help researchers draw causal conclusions based on research data. The special section includes articles that focus on: 1) directed acyclic graphs; 2) marginal structural models; 3) instrumental variable methods; 4) causal mediation analysis; 5) agent-based modeling.

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Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash

Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Advances in methods in the last 25 years have helped investigators draw causal conclusions from research data. However, those methods have been used infrequently in research on the causes and consequences of psychological trauma. The research methods described in this special section can help trauma researchers identify causal effects in research studies rather than simply associations among variables.