Imposter Syndrome Associated with Poor Job Performance and Low Job Satisfaction
New Research Finds Imposter Syndrome Is Highly Prevalent in Both Men and Women, Across Age and Minority Populations, and Industries
Crossover Health, a digital-first, national medical group, announced the results of a study that found individuals who suffer from imposter syndrome tend to experience lower job satisfaction, higher burnout, and perform poorly at work. The research also found that imposter syndrome is highly prevalent in both men and women, across age groups, and throughout many industries. In addition, imposter syndrome is particularly prevalent among ethnic minorities.
The paper, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine this week, is the first meta-analysis of peer-reviewed evidence on imposter syndrome, (a term that describes high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective “success,” fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as an impostor).
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“The forward-thinking companies we work with all want to help their employees be as happy and healthy as possible at work,” said Dr. Karoline Hilu, Crossover Health Chief Strategy Officer. “In our value-based care model, we can consistently innovate to proactively address health concerns like imposter syndrome to help employees reach their full personal and professional potential.”
While there have not been any clinical trials of interventions for treating imposter syndrome, it very often coexists with depression and anxiety. The researchers recommend that imposter syndrome be considered for inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and that there be further evaluation of group cognitive behavioral therapy focused on addressing imposter feelings.
The meta-analysis synthesized 62 peer-reviewed studies about imposter syndrome, half of which were published in the past six years. The studies included were all English-language reports evaluating the prevalence, predictors, comorbidities, or treatment of imposter syndrome. The research extracted data on study variables, participant variables, diagnostic tools used, outcome variables, and pre-defined quality variables. In total, 14,161 participants met the inclusion criteria.
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“While there’s been considerable lay interest in imposter syndrome, we took on this research because clinicians today don’t have enough information about this condition or the best practices for preventing, diagnosing, and treating it,” said Dr. Dena Bravata, the report lead author, senior affiliate of the Stanford University Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research, and a longtime Crossover Health advisor. “As a leader in providing comprehensive health services for employers, Crossover Health will offer access to intervention therapy and resilience training that focus on imposter syndrome, help HR teams create healthier workplace cultures, and develop best practices for diagnosing and treating patients.”
The Crossover model relies on a dedicated interdisciplinary care team, including primary care, physical medicine, behavioral health, and health coaching services that can deliver personalized care across multiple channels as well as care navigation and care management. These care teams are enabled by the Crossover Platform — a proprietary combination of electronic health record, asynchronous messaging, customer relationship management, and project management tools — crafted to meet the needs of the modern healthcare consumer.
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