Impostor phenomenon, mental health status and coping strategies among medical students in Southern Thailand
Keywords:
Anxiety impostor phenomenon, coping, depression, medical student, self-esteemAbstract
Background: Impostor phenomenon is an internal experience in successful individuals who realize that their achievements are unintended, although their successes can be proven by objective evidence. The study of impostor phenomenon among medical students remains largely unexplored in Thailand, especially during the transitional period from traditional medical training to online training due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of impostor phenomenon, mental health and the coping strategies as well as to examine the factors related to impostor phenomenon among Thai medical students.
Methods: Two hundred and seventy-two subjects completed online questionnaires enquiring about sociodemographic characteristics and perception of social expectations in the role of a medical student as well as the Impostor Phenomenon Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Coping Scale.
Results: The prevalence of impostor phenomenon among the surveyed medical students was 46.0%, while the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 14.1% and 5.2%, respectively. The subjects primarily employed confrontive coping strategies. The statistically significant predictors for impostor phenomenon were palliative coping strategy ( = 4.478, P < 0.001), self-esteem (
= - 1.038, P < 0.001), anxiety (
= 0.278, P = 0.004) and perception of social expectations in the role of a medical student (
= 0.032, P = 0.006).
Conclusion: This information regarding the association between the impostor phenomenon, anxiety, self-esteem, coping strategies, and perception of social expectations in the role of a medical student may be beneficial for promoting better coping strategies and self-esteem as well as solving the impostor phenomenon problem among medical students.
Downloads
References
Chaisaen A. Causal factors and the consequencies of the imposter phenomenon in Thai doctoral students. Dissertation, Ph.D. (Applied Behavioral Science Research). Bangkok: Graduate School Srinakarinwirote Univerity; 2016.
Gottlieb M, Chung A, Battaglioli N, Sebok-Syer SS, Kalantari A. Imposter syndrome among physicians and physicians in training: A scoping review. Med Educ 2019;54:116-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13956
Levant B, Villwork JA, Manzardo AM. Imposterism in third-year medical students: an item analysis using the imposter phenomenon scale. Perspect Mes Educ 2020:9:83-91. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-020-00562-8
Levant B, Villwock JA, Manzardo AM. Impostorism in American medical students during early clinical training: gender differences and intercorrelating factors. Int J Med Educ 2020;11:90-6.
https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5e99.7aa2
Maqsood H, Shakeel HA, Hussain H, Khan AR, Ali B, Ishaq A, et al. The descriptive study of imposter syndrome in medical students. Int J Res Med Sci 2018;6:3431-4. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20184031
Petrowski K, Brähler E, Kliem S, Ritzka D, Zenger, M. Recalled parental rearing style, self-esteem, and psychopathological symptoms in the general population. Psihologijia 2020;53:1-9.
https://doi.org/10.2298/PSI180901010P
Want J, Kleitman S. Imposter phenomenon and selfhandicapping: Links with parenting styles and selfconfidence. Pers Indiv Dif 2006;40:961-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.10.005
Intarakamhang U. Research synthesis concerning the stress and coping of Thai people. JBS 2008;14:135-50.
Wilaikool P. Stress and behavioral stress response among employees working for office of revenue area 1, Chonburi province. Burapha University J; 2558.
Chaiyapan M. Sense of coherence and coping strategies to solve the working stress. Princess of Naradhiwas University J 2556; 3:151-61.
Ikbaal MY, Aqilah Salim Musa N. Prevalence of impostor phenomenon among medical students in a Malaysian private medical school. Int J Med Stud 2018;6: 66-70. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2018.10
Sonnak C, Towell T. The impostor phenomenon in British university students: Relationships between self-esteem, mental health, parental rearing style and socioeconomic status. Pers Indiv Dif 2001;31:863-74.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00184-7
Mascarenhas VR, D'Souza D, Bicholkar A. Prevalence of impostor phenomenon and its association with self-esteem among medical interns in Goa, India. Int J Community Med Public Health 2019;6:355-9.
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20185272
Adriana K. The Imposter Syndrome and academic life. Interparadigmas 2013;1:75-88.
Baltà-Salvador R, Olmedo-Torre N, Peña M, RentaDavids A. Academic and emotional effects of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on engineering students. Educ Inf Technol (Dordr) 2021;26:7407-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10593-1
Alibudbud R. On online learning and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from the Philippines. Asian J Psychiatr 2021;66:102867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102867
Poalses J, Bezuidenhout A. Mental health in higher education: a comparative stress risk assessment at an open distance learning university in South Africa. Int Rev Res Open Distrib Learn 2018;19:169-90.
https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i2.3391
Malolos GZC, Baron MBC, Apat FAJ, Sagsagat HAA, Pasco PBM, Aportadera ETCL, et al. Mental health and well-being of children in the Philippine setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Promot Perspect 2021;11:267-70. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2021.34
Wongpakaran T, Wongpakaran N, Confirmatory factor analysis of rosenberg self esteem scale: A study of Thai student sample. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University. J Psychiatr Assoc Thailand 2011;56:59-70.
Nilchaikovit T, Lortrakul M, Phisansuthideth U. Development of Thai version of hospital anxiety and depression scale in cancer patients. J Psychiatr Assoc Thailand 1996;41:18-30.
Taechakijkosol R. Stress and coping in the rehabilitation stroke patients at Siriraj Hospital [theses (Master's degree)]. Nakhon Pathom: Silpakorn University; 2009.
Thomas M, Bigatti S. Perfectionism, impostor phenomenon, and mental health in medicine: a literature review. Int J Med Educ 2020;11:201-13. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5f54.c8f8
Cusack CE, Hughes JL, Nuhu N. Connecting gender and mental health to imposter phenomenon feelings. Psi Chi J Psychol Res 2013;18:74-80. https://doi.org/10.24839/2164-8204.JN18.2.74
Levant B, Villwock JA, Manzardo AM. Impostorism in American medical students during early clinical training: gender differences and intercorrelating factors. Int J Med Educ 2020;11:90-6. Zeng W, Chen R, Wang X, Zhang Q, Deng W. Prevalence of mental health problems among medical students in China. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019;98:e15337 https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5e99.7aa2
Ismail M, Lee Y, Tanjung S, Jelani I, Latiff R, Razak H, Shauki N. The prevalence of psychological distress and its association with coping strategies among medical interns in Malaysia: A national-level crosssectional study. Asia Pac Psychiatry 2021;13:e123417. https://doi.org/10.1111/appy.12417
Maqsood H. The descriptive study of impostor syndrome in medical students. Int J Res Med Sci 2018;6:3431-4. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20184031
Rosenthal S, Schlussel Y, Yaden B, DeSantis J, Trayes K, Pohl C, Hojat M. Persistent impostor phenomenon is associated with distress in medical students. Fam Med 2021;53:118-22.
https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2021.799997
Christy B. The role of social influence in anxiety and the imposter phenomenon. Online Learning 2016;20:
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v20i2.618230-43.
Sonnak C, Towell T. The Impostor phenomenon in British university students: Relationships between self-esteem, mental health, parental rearing style and socioeconomic status. Pers Individ Differ 2001;31:863-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00184-7
Ishak Z, Low SF, Lau PL. Parenting style as a moderator for students' academic achievement. J Sci Educ Technol 2012;21:487-93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-011-9340-1
McGregor LN, Gee DN, Posey KE. I feel like a fraud and it depresses me: The elation between the imposter phenomenon and depression. Social Behavior and Personality: An Int J 2008;36:43-8.
https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2008.36.1.43
Hutchins HM, Penney LM, Sublett LW. What imposters risk at work: Exploring imposter phenomenon, stress coping, and job outcomes. Human Resource Devel Quarterly 2018;29:31-48.
https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21304
Stubbing EA, Helmich E, Cleland J. Medical student views of and responses to expectations of professionalism. Med Educ 2019;53:1025-36. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13933
Tremolada M, Bonichini S, Taverna L. Coping strategies and perceived support in adolescents and young adults: predictive model of self-reported cognitive and mood problems. Psychology 2016;7:1858-71.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Chulalongkorn Medical Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
