Upward counterfactual thinking and depression: A meta-analysis

Clinical Psychology Review
Anne Gene BroomhallNatasha M Loi

Abstract

This meta-analysis examined the strength of association between upward counterfactual thinking and depressive symptoms. Forty-two effect sizes from a pooled sample of 13,168 respondents produced a weighted average effect size of r=.26, p<.001. Moderator analyses using an expanded set of 96 effect sizes indicated that upward counterfactuals and regret produced significant positive effects that were similar in strength. Effects also did not vary as a function of the theme of the counterfactual-inducing situation or study design (cross-sectional versus longitudinal). Significant effect size heterogeneity was observed across sample types, methods of assessing upward counterfactual thinking, and types of depression scale. Significant positive effects were found in studies that employed samples of bereaved individuals, older adults, terminally ill patients, or university students, but not adolescent mothers or mixed samples. Both number-based and Likert-based upward counterfactual thinking assessments produced significant positive effects, with the latter generating a larger effect. All depression scales produced significant positive effects, except for the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Interview. Research and theoretical implica...Continue Reading

Citations

May 14, 2019·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Cecilia KennedyAmy Y C Chan
Mar 26, 2019·Journal of Sports Sciences·Mark S AllenAmy Y C Chan
Aug 21, 2019·Stress and Health : Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress·Frank EuteneuerPhilipp Suessenbach
Apr 29, 2020·European Journal of Psychotraumatology·Thole H HoppenNexhmedin Morina
Dec 25, 2019·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Jonathan Redshaw, Thomas Suddendorf

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