All About Imposter Syndrome: Definition, Health Effects, and Coping With It

In 1978, two psychologists defined something called “impostor phenomenon” as an experience of feeling like an intellectual phony, in a paper published in the journal Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice.

And in the decades since, mental health experts and lay people alike have been talking about it.

Whether you call it impostor phenomenon, impostor feelings, or the more colloquial term, “imposter syndrome,” it’s when you feel like an intellectual fake. (Note that both “imposter” and “impostor” are correct spellings of the term, according to Merriam-Webster.)

It’s marked by persistent self-doubt and, often, a fear of being exposed as a fraud or imposter — even though, in reality, you’ve been successful in the very field where you feel like a fraud, according to researchers who study the topic.

Despite your accomplishments — accomplishments that others may see clearly — you don’t internalize them or believe that you’re as competent as you are.

“I wish more people understood that the imposter phenomenon is not a mental disorder,” says Kevin Cokley, PhD, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and a researcher who has focused on studying the phenomenon. Although people commonly refer to it as a “syndrome,” he says, that term is misleading.

And while it might also sound like it’s about self-esteem — and can be related to it — it’s not the same thing, other research has determined.

“Low self-esteem is an overall, general assessment of one's self-worth,” says Lora Park, PhD, a professor of psychology at SUNY Buffalo, who researches the topic. “People with low self-esteem feel inferior to others and do not think very highly of themselves on a global level.”

Imposter feelings are specific to competence, she explains. They reflect your concerns about being “found out” as less capable than what you think others perceive you to be. (More on the connection between self-esteem and imposter feelings below, including how the latter can contribute to the former.)

Imposter feelings are different from having an inferiority complex, too, which is broader than competence — and is, essentially, chronic low self-esteem across all aspects of your life. Again, imposter syndrome is about doubting your competence in relation to specific things (like your job or your role as a spouse or parent).

There isn’t enough research to say what really causes imposter syndrome, but there are some things that appear to be linked with it, as well as factors that may change the way people experience it. Some are:

Racism and Sexism

Various forms of oppression, such as racism and sexism, can affect how people of color and women experience imposter feelings, Dr. Cokley explains.

“I would argue that systemic inequalities account for the majority of imposter syndrome,” Geneva Reynaga Abiko, PhD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with clients who face oppression regularly, including those who identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+, says based on her clinical experience.

At the same time, eliminating all forms of oppression wouldn’t necessarily eliminate the existence of imposter phenomenon altogether, Cokley says. He notes: “[We] don’t have data to support the idea that individuals who are marginalized are disproportionately impacted by imposter feelings,” he says. “That’s not supported by research. But what I have been arguing and what others are arguing are that individuals who have marginalized identities tend to experience imposter feelings a bit differently than people who are not marginalized.”

When a white man experiences imposter feelings, Cokley says, it likely isn’t tied to the world making him feel inferior due to his identity as a white man. “But when marginalized individuals report feeling like imposters, it’s usually because of some cues in the environment that cause them to question their deservingness to be there, their capabilities, their competence.”

Often, that's tied to their skin color, he says, but could also be tied to gender and other social identities. “It’s not that marginalized individuals are more likely to experience imposter feelings,” Cokley says — “it's that the nature of imposter feelings tend to be connected more to external environment cues related to being oppressed."

Trauma and Anxiety

There are also some traits and personal histories that may affect your likelihood of feeling like an imposter. Dr. Reynaga Abiko says that in her experience as a clinician, personal trauma and anxiety can contribute to someone feeling like a phony.

People who’ve experienced trauma often have nervous systems that remain in states of high alert in order to stay safe, and it’s usually unconscious, she says. This overactivation of their nervous system, she explains — combined with how their sense of self was likely negatively impacted by the trauma — can make a person extra sensitive to messages that lead them to feel like an imposter. That said, not everyone with trauma will experience imposter feelings.

Being a Perfectionist

Meanwhile, Cokley’s research has found that unhealthy forms of perfectionism are positively linked to imposter feelings — and that having lower self-esteem can be one of the things linking the two.

Trying to be perfect is really not realistic, Cokley says. If you have impossibly high standards for yourself and believe that your high standards haven’t been met, it’s maladaptive perfectionism — perfectionism that can lead to unhealthy outcomes. Working so hard to reach a standard that’s impossible to meet, he says, makes you more susceptible to feeling like you’re an imposter.

And if you have lower self-esteem, that makes you more vulnerable to your perfectionism being associated with imposter feelings, he adds. If, instead, you have higher self-esteem, it can reduce the impact of perfectionism on imposter feelings.

Having an External Attribution Style (or Tending to Feel Like Your Successes Are Linked to ‘Luck’)

Research has linked high imposter feelings to having an external attribution style, research suggests. Having an external attribution style means you get a promotion, and rather than think it’s for an internal reason — “I got it because I’m good at my job” — you instead believe it happened only due to outside factors: “I just got lucky, that’s why,” according to the American Psychological Association (APA) definition.

“Imposter syndrome usually shows up as feelings often associated with anxiety, but it's basically what we call hyperarousal, or a heightened state for the body,” Reynaga Abiko says. “We see a lot of overthinking or worry about being ‘found out’ or ‘not being good enough.’”

A person may also have an idea of what an “authentic,” nonimposter person in their area is like — how a “real” professor or writer or math student is — and feel that they’re somehow deficient compared with that imagined ideal, she says.

Imposter syndrome can affect someone’s health and well-being in significant ways, starting with mental well-being, says Reynaga Abiko.

Imposter Feelings Can Lead to Shame and Social Anxiety

It can be especially dangerous when it’s due to systemic forces, she says. "But it feels like an individual problem, which means it stays invisible.” Many people, for instance, struggle to name the imposter feelings they have and talk about it because of the shame and perceived uniqueness of the experience, she says. People tend to blame themselves, even if what they’re feeling is influenced by larger social inequities.

She adds that some people think they have social anxiety, for instance, rather than imposter feelings. It can also be associated with generalized anxiety and depression, and come with a fear of failure or guilt about success, research has found.

“This has a different impact on different people, based on their overall general mental health,” Reynaga Abiko says. “For some people it can just be a minor annoyance that they need to find some relatively simple coping strategies for, whereas for other people it can be debilitating.”

Imposter Feelings Can Hold You Back

It can cause someone to avoid anything that leads them to feel this feeling, she says, which might mean they miss out on opportunities that bring up imposter feelings. It can also sometimes lead to depression, she adds, or coping mechanisms like alcohol use. Indeed, imposter feelings may make you insecure when you try out new things — or might prevent you from trying them out in the first place.

Reynaga Abiko says she has seen imposter phenomenon prevent people from accepting a promotion at work or applying to a certain job or school.

And feeling like a fraud can show up in different areas of your life, Reynaga Abiko says. “For some people it impacts their educational and occupational lives,” she says, and “for others it impacts their social lives more.” It can also impact both.

Imposter Feelings May Be Linked to Burnout and Stress

A literature review Cokley coauthored, published in 2020, found that among people who work, those who struggle with imposter syndrome may experience lower job satisfaction and performance — and that imposter feelings may contribute to burnout. The researchers concluded, though, that more research is needed.

Earlier in his career, Cokley also coauthored a study that looked at both imposter feelings and minority status stress (stress associated with being a minority) in ethnic minority college students. Using a statistical analysis to look at different variables, the researchers found that while stress related to someone’s race or minority status correlated strongly with poorer mental health, imposter feelings were an even more powerful predictor of mental health outcomes.

Cokley cautions that it was just one study with a relatively small sample size, but that he and his colleagues were surprised by the outcome.

“I think people can work through imposter feelings to live happy and productive lives,” Cokley says. Here are some tips that may help:

1. Know You’re Not Alone

This is key, Reynaga Abiko says. “Many people feel like an imposter,” she says, “even though they will never show it or talk about it.” Rather than think it’s your own personal problem and feel ashamed, understand that lots of people feel this way.

Just how many people experience it? That same 2020 literature review Cokley coauthored found a wildly large range of possibilities from different studies, from just 9 percent of people up to 82 percent. When asked what his own estimate might be, Cokley says he suspects (based on the research and his own experience asking large audiences when he speaks on the topic) that the 82 percent figure is pretty accurate.

2. Surround Yourself With Positive Role Models

Reynaga Abiko also suggests reminding yourself often of role models who share an identity with you. She says whether it’s someone you follow online who’s “made it” in your field or a mentor you have in real life, their presence can remind you that you, too, do belong in whatever role you’re afraid you don’t deserve.

3. But Remember That Comparing Yourself Doesn’t Help

While positive role models may help you believe that you belong and aren’t a fraud, Cokley cautions against the type of social comparison that leaves you feeling less accomplished or less competent than someone else.

Try to think, “It’s so nice to see people with my same identity becoming history professors” — rather than, “Ugh, that person got a teaching fellowship and is obviously smarter than me. I guess I’m a phony after all.” Comparing yourself with others in that way, Cokley says, will only make imposter feelings resurface.

4. Tweak Your Observations About Yourself

Instead of saying, “I hate that I always freak out during job interviews,” turn that into a positive thing you notice, even in a difficult, imposter-feeling situation. Try something like, “I’m so good at noticing how I feel during interviews,” Reynaga Abiko says. Why?

“What we are ultimately trying to do is extinguish the neural pathways that connect ideas leading to one feeling like an imposter,” she says, “and create (then reinforce) neural pathways that connect ideas leading one to feeling confident or good about themselves.”

It takes a lot of practice and repetition to create those new pathways in the brain, she says, so this type of self-talk, grounded in a real observation about yourself (rather than jumping to a negative conclusion), can help.

“This simple change in wording can make a big difference to helping you feel comfortable and remain in the space, apply for the job, and so on,” Reynaga Abiko says.

5. Seek Support

As in many other cases, struggling to function throughout daily tasks is a sign to seek out professional support, Reynaga Abiko says. And if you do, make sure you find a mental health provider who has values similar to yours, and who you feel comfortable exploring your imposter feelings with. That way, she says, you won’t inadvertently feel like an imposter with them, too.