Introducing the Causal Graph Approach to Psychopathology: An Illustration in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Year: 2019
Type: preprint
Abstract: Clinicians aim to discern causal relations among features of mental disorders. Yet observational data are insufficient to confirm these relations. In the present study, we describe a causal graph approach to illustrate how one can discern causal relations among features of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by applying the Invariant Causal Prediction (ICP) algorithm and the Hidden Invariant Causal Prediction (HICP) algorithm, supplemented by findings from a literature review. Applying these methods to symptom severity data from four time points (before, during [twice], and after behavioral treatment) we estimated a causal graph for OCD. The resulting causal graph reveals multiple cycles between aspects of OCD that may play a role in the maintenance of the disorder. We conclude that the proposed design has great potential and could benefit clinicians with some adjustments and extensions.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4214886153