Shenakht Journal of Psychology & Psychiatry

Introduction: The current research compared the counterfactual thinking of patients with depression, anxiety and healthy people.

Method: Sample was consisted to 30 depressed women and 30 anxious women from different consulting centers of Isfahan in year 2015 were referred to the researchers; Also 30 healthy women without the history of psychiatric disorders or drug abuse were selected. Then test  of this study was administered on the sample.

Results: Results of multivariate analysis of variance showed there is significant difference between three groups in counterfactual thinking. Depressed people got more scores and healthy people got less scores. There is significant difference between groups depression and healthy in nonreferent downward counterfactual thinking scores. In depressed and anxious people was significantly more other referent upward, self referent upward, nonreferent upward counterfactual thinking scores than healthy people. But was not any significant difference between anxious and depressed people in these variable.

Conclusion: Negative feeling activating counterfactual thinking up ward which may further Negative feelings. counterfactual thinking is atumaticly inhibition soon after activation but not occur in depressed and anxious people these event and countiniue vicious circle of counterfactual obsessive rumination.