Imposter syndrome: feeling like a fraud at work

Imposter syndrome describes the feeling that your success is undeserved: that you got where you are through luck, timing or other people’s mistakes, and that sooner or later you will be exposed as a fraud. It is not a mental health diagnosis, but a common pattern of thinking that can affect people at every level of work and study. It often sits alongside anxiety, perfectionism and low self-esteem, and it can be eased with understanding and support.

Key points

• Imposter feelings are a persistent sense of being a fraud despite clear evidence of ability.
• The idea was first described in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, who called it the “impostor phenomenon”.
• It is not a recognised psychiatric diagnosis and is not listed in the DSM or ICD.
• Research suggests it affects men and women, across ages and professions, and is often linked with anxiety and low mood.
• Talking therapy can help you understand where these feelings come from and relate to your achievements more fairly.

What is imposter syndrome?

In 1978, Clance and Imes published a paper in the journal Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice describing what they called the impostor phenomenon. Over five years of therapy, groups and teaching, they had worked with more than 150 highly successful women, including students, academics and professionals, who did not feel successful inside. Despite degrees, honours and praise, these women believed they were not really intelligent and had somehow fooled everyone around them.

Clance and Imes noted that the women did not fall into any one diagnostic category. The difficulties most often reported alongside imposter feelings were generalised anxiety, lack of self-confidence, depression and frustration at not meeting their own high standards.

The everyday name “imposter syndrome” came later. Researchers still tend to use “impostor phenomenon”, partly because “syndrome” can sound like a medical condition. A 2020 systematic review in the Journal of General Internal Medicine confirmed that it is not a recognised psychiatric disorder. It is better thought of as a way of experiencing yourself than as an illness.

What does it feel like?

People describe imposter feelings in many different ways, but some common experiences include:

• Putting success down to luck, good timing or other people being kind, rather than your own skill.
• Dreading the moment someone realises you are not as good as they think.
• Finding it hard to take in praise, or quickly explaining it away.
• Over-preparing or working much longer hours than others, in case you are found out.
• Feeling that one mistake would prove you never belonged.
• Getting only brief relief after an achievement before the doubt returns.

Clance and Imes observed that hard work could become part of the cycle. Worry leads to over-preparation, over-preparation leads to a good result, and the good result brings brief relief. But because the success is put down to effort or luck rather than ability, the underlying sense of being a fraud stays untouched.

Who experiences imposter syndrome?

The original paper focused on high-achieving women. Clance and Imes thought the phenomenon was less common in men, but they said this was a clinical impression that needed research.

The 2020 systematic review by Bravata and colleagues brought together 62 studies with more than 14,000 participants. It found that imposter feelings were common among both men and women and across a wide range of ages, from adolescents to experienced professionals. About half of the studies that compared genders found women reported higher rates, and half found no difference.

Estimates of how common it is varied widely, from 9% to 82%, largely depending on the questionnaire and cut-off used. The review also found imposter feelings were particularly common in some ethnic minority groups. It is worth remembering that feeling out of place is not always just in your head. Being the first in your family at university, or one of very few people like you in a workplace, can add real pressure.

Is imposter syndrome linked to anxiety, depression or burnout?

The Bravata review found that imposter feelings often occur together with depression and anxiety, and are associated with lower job satisfaction, poorer job performance and burnout. Studies also linked them with perfectionism and low self-esteem.

If you are constantly pushing yourself to prove you deserve your place, it is easy to see how exhaustion can follow. You might find our guides on burnout and stress and the inner critic helpful, as both often overlap with imposter feelings.

Where do imposter feelings come from?

There is no single cause. Clance and Imes suggested that early family messages could play a part, for example being labelled “the sensitive one” while a sibling was “the clever one”, or being praised as effortlessly brilliant, so that needing to study felt like proof of being a fraud. They also pointed to wider social expectations about who is supposed to be competent.

Since then, research has mainly been based on questionnaires taken at one point in time, so it can show links but not causes. Many people recognise some combination of high expectations, comparison, perfectionism and environments where mistakes feel dangerous.

What can help with imposter syndrome?

The Bravata review found no published studies testing a specific treatment for imposter feelings. Clinicians usually work with what tends to come with them, such as anxiety, low mood and perfectionism. Some ideas people find helpful include:

1. Name it. Recognising “this is the imposter feeling” can create a little distance from it.
2. Keep a record. Clance and Imes suggested writing down positive feedback and noticing how you dismiss it. Over time, you can practise letting some of it in.
3. Talk about it. Imposter feelings are often a well-kept secret. Hearing that respected colleagues feel the same can be a relief.
4. Question the standard. Ask whether you would judge a friend’s work the way you judge your own.
5. Notice over-working. If you only feel safe when you over-prepare, try small experiments in doing a little less and see what actually happens.

How can therapy help?

Clance and Imes noticed that imposter feelings were rarely the reason people first came to therapy. They usually came out after a few sessions, because the fear of being found out made them hard to admit. Therapy offers a confidential space where you can say these things without being judged or reassured too quickly.

In my integrative approach, drawing on person-centred, psychodynamic and CBT-informed ideas, we might:

• Explore where the sense of being a fraud began and what it has been protecting you from.
• Notice the thoughts that dismiss your achievements and look at them more fairly.
• Look at perfectionism, over-work and the fear of making mistakes.
• Build a steadier sense of your own worth that does not depend on the next result.

This work often connects with self-esteem and with stress and burnout. Sessions are available in person in Farringdon or online, in English or Turkish.

If low mood or anxiety is affecting your daily life, it is worth speaking to your GP. In England, you can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for help with common problems such as anxiety and depression.

If you are in crisis, call 999, go to A&E, call NHS 111, or contact Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24/7).

If you are tired of waiting to be found out and would like to understand these feelings better, you are welcome to get in touch to arrange an initial consultation. We can go at whatever pace feels right for you.