Casual linkage

Question

Hi.What does "casual linkage" mean in:"Convincing evidence of causal linkages remains elusive"(Retrieved from:http://focus.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?Volume=2&page=558&journalID=21 )?

EdwardM · Accepted Answer

It's causal, not casual. Both words have different meanings.

Causal means that something that expresses a cause. Causality describes the link between cause and effect. Example:

1. We hired a cab [effect] because our car broke down [cause].

"Causal linkage" is a commonly-used term in law and other professional fields. Example:

Question: So what happened to the victim?
Answer: Alcohol abuse [cause] led to his death [effect].

In the article you posted, the author expects ODD and CD to be causes of DBD, but concludes that they are not causes based on the lack of strong evidence. In other words, there is no causal link.

Casual linkage

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