Global prevalence of imposter syndrome in health service providers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Imposterism, also known as imposter syndrome or imposter phenomenon, is an emerging phenomenon that has attracted much attention in recent years. Given that this phenomenon is common among high-achieving individuals and its identification often overlaps with symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout, the aim of this study is to determine the global prevalence of imposter syndrome and its associated factors.

METHODS: For this study, PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were systematically searched, and all relevant studies were transferred to EndNote (v.8) and reviewed. Data analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (v.2) software; a random effects model was adopted for analysis, and the I 2 index was used to examine the heterogeneity of studies.

RESULTS: In a review of 30 studies with a sample size of 11,483 people, the prevalence of imposter syndrome was 62% (95% CI: 52.6-70.6) based on meta-analysis and the random effects method. In examining the factors affecting the heterogeneity of studies and the effect of sample size on this heterogeneity, it was found that with increasing sample size, the prevalence of imposter syndrome decreases (p < 0.05), and with increasing years of studies, the prevalence of imposter syndrome increases (p < 0.05). Additionally, in this study, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout were identified as the most important factors associated with imposter syndrome.

CONCLUSION: Given the relatively high prevalence of imposter syndrome, which is a serious psychological challenge and can negatively affect the mental health and performance of individuals, the results of this study provide useful information for designing appropriate policies and interventions to develop effective pertinent solutions.