Can you statistically compare two indirect effects in metaSEM? I'm conducting a meta-analytic structural equation model (MASEM) using the two-stage approach in metaSEM in R. I have fit a model with two indirect effects, and would like to compare them to see if they differ in magnitude. Is it possible to constrain the indirect effects to equality so I can compare this model fit to the full model? Or is there some other way of testing differences between indirect effects?
Stage 2 R code here:
stage2total <- wls(Cov = cordat, aCov = Acov,
              n = sum(unique(SGMAdata.db$N)), Amatrix = A, Smatrix = S,
              diag.constraints = TRUE,
              intervals.type = "LB", 
              mx.algebras = list(
              depindirectEffect = mxAlgebra(b21*b42, 
              name="depindirectEffect"), indepindirectEffect = 
              mxAlgebra(b31*b43, name="indepindirectEffect"))
              )
                
summary(stage2total)


Adding such a constraint is a bit tricky, but you should get an LBCI for the difference between the two indirect effects by adding this in the mx.algebra list:
difference = mxAlgebra(depindirectEffect-indepindirectEffect,name="difference")
