Upward Counterfactual Thinking and Depression Meta-analysis

Abstract

This dataset contains the summary of effect sizes obtained from 36 publications that investigated the association between upward counterfactual thinking and depression. The effect sizes were categorised according to study characteristics that served as moderators of the association: investigated counterfactuals (i.e., upward counterfactuals or regret), theme of the negative event, sample type, study design, depression assessment, and counterfactual assessment types. Other descriptions of the studies were also included. This meta-analysis served as a precursor for conducting studies about counterfactual-related depression in Philippine respondents given the paucity of studies about this topic in non-Western or Asian societies.