Salem N, Farhat A, Hochaimi D, El Hage Ali J, Ammar L, Hamze L, El Irani M, Habib M, Hijazi M, Kaddoura H. Imposter phenomenon and resilience in Lebanese university students: A cross-sectional study. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(3): 114371 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114371]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Nariman Salem, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia, Beirut Arab University, Tarik El Jadida, Beirut 0000, Beyrouth, Lebanon. n.salem@bau.edu.lb
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Psychology, Social
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Observational Study
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Mar 19, 2026 (publication date) through Feb 27, 2026
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Salem N, Farhat A, Hochaimi D, El Hage Ali J, Ammar L, Hamze L, El Irani M, Habib M, Hijazi M, Kaddoura H. Imposter phenomenon and resilience in Lebanese university students: A cross-sectional study. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(3): 114371 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114371]
World J Psychiatry. Mar 19, 2026; 16(3): 114371 Published online Mar 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114371
Imposter phenomenon and resilience in Lebanese university students: A cross-sectional study
Nariman Salem, Ahmad Farhat, Dania Hochaimi, Jad El Hage Ali, Lana Ammar, Leen Hamze, Majd El Irani, Mariam Habib, Mostafa Hijazi, Hussein Kaddoura
Nariman Salem, Department of Anesthesia, Beirut Arab University, Beirut 0000, Beyrouth, Lebanon
Ahmad Farhat, Dania Hochaimi, Jad El Hage Ali, Lana Ammar, Leen Hamze, Majd El Irani, Mariam Habib, Mostafa Hijazi, Hussein Kaddoura, Department of Internal Medicine, Beirut Arab University, Beirut 0000, Beyrouth, Lebanon
Author contributions: Salem N conceived and supervised the study and contributed to design and critical revision; Salem N, Farhat A, Hochaimi D, Ali JEH, and Ammar L participated in data collection, analysis, and drafting of the manuscript; Hamze L and Irani ME contributed to questionnaire development, data validation, and statistical verification; Habib M and Hijazi M assisted with data management, references, and figure preparation; Kaddoura H contributed to conceptualization, manuscript editing, and final approval of the submitted version; All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Beirut Arab University, Lebanon (Approval No. 2023-H-131-M-R-0504). All procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki and institutional research policies.
Informed consent statement: Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrollment by proceeding with the online survey after reading the study’s introduction and consent statement.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: Deidentified data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with permission from Beirut Arab University.
Corresponding author: Nariman Salem, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia, Beirut Arab University, Tarik El Jadida, Beirut 0000, Beyrouth, Lebanon. n.salem@bau.edu.lb
Received: September 17, 2025 Revised: October 14, 2025 Accepted: November 25, 2025 Published online: March 19, 2026 Processing time: 163 Days and 10 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Imposter phenomenon (IP) is characterized by persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evident success. It is increasingly recognized among university students and has been linked to anxiety, depression, and burnout. Resilience, defined as the capacity to adapt positively under stress, may buffer against IP, yet this relationship remains understudied in the Lebanese cultural context.
AIM
To examine imposter phenomenon prevalence, its association with resilience, and related sociodemographic and academic factors in Lebanese university students.
METHODS
A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted on June 22-26, 2023 among 630 students recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. The Young Imposter Scale and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to assess IP and resilience. Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, χ2) compared groups, and effect sizes (r, η2) were calculated.
RESULTS
Overall, 42.5% of participants exhibited IP. IP was significantly more prevalent among females (47.3% vs 33.3%, P < 0.001), those feeling overwhelmed, and students with worsened academic performance. In contrast, students satisfied with their major, supported by peers or family, or practicing coping strategies exhibited lower IP rates and higher resilience scores. Mean resilience was 25.5 ± 6.8 and was significantly higher among males and those employed, satisfied, or supported. IP was inversely associated with resilience (P < 0.001), indicating that greater resilience correlates with reduced imposter feelings.
CONCLUSION
Nearly half of Lebanese university students experienced impostor phenomenon; enhancing resilience and supportive academic environments may reduce impostor feelings, improve mental health, and guide culturally sensitive longitudinal interventions.
Core Tip: This cross-sectional study explored the imposter phenomenon (IP), a pattern of self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud, among 630 Lebanese university students. Findings revealed that 42.5% experienced IP, which was strongly linked to lower resilience as measured by the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Female gender, academic overload, unsupportive environments, and declining grades were risk factors while resilience emerged as a protective buffer. These results underscore the need for resilience-building interventions in higher education to mitigate the psychological burden of IP.
