RESEARCH_FILE
Dena M. Bravata
Stanford University School of Medicine
Known for:Leading the first systematic review of impostor-syndrome prevalence, predictors and treatment
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They'll find out I'm a fraud”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I keep the receipts. The record shows I delivered.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
For the next 8 minutes, make a private “proof list” on paper or in a notes app: three specific things you completed, clarified, corrected, or carried today. Keep it factual, not flattering.
Key findings
- 2020
Across 62 studies and 14,161 participants, prevalence estimates of impostor syndrome ranged from 9% to 82%, driven largely by which screening instrument and cutoff each study used. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review ↗
- 2020
Impostor feelings were common among both men and women and across age groups, and were frequently comorbid with depression and anxiety and associated with impaired job performance and burnout. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review ↗
- 2020
Despite more than four decades of research, the review found no published studies evaluating any treatment for impostor syndrome — a gap the authors flagged explicitly. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review ↗