Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Robust Inference On Effects Attributable To Mediators: A Controlled-Direct-Effect-Based Approach For Causal Effect Decomposition With Multiple Mediators, An-Shun Tai, Yi-Juan Du, Sheng-Hsuan Lin

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Effect decomposition is a critical technique for mechanism investigation in settings with multiple causally ordered mediators. Causal mediation analysis is a standard method for effect decomposition, but the assumptions required for the identification process are extremely strong. By extending the framework of controlled direct effects, this study proposes the effect attributable to mediators (EAM) as a novel measure for effect decomposition. For policy making, EAM represents how much an effect can be eliminated by setting mediators to certain values. From the perspective of mechanism investigation, EAM contains information about how much a particular mediator or set of mediators is involved …