Imposter phenomenon and resilience in Lebanese university students: A cross-sectional study

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.

Key Words: Impostor phenomenon; Resilience; University students; Anxiety; Stress; Self-doubt; Perfectionism

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.

INTRODUCTION

Imposter phenomenon

Globally, university life is often regarded as a formative stage associated with autonomy, creativity, and achievement[1]. However, students often encounter novel social and academic challenges that can lead to elevated stress and negatively impact mental health[2]. Notably, university students show higher rates of depression and anxiety[3]. These mental health difficulties have been linked with the imposter phenomenon (IP), a psychological pattern involving persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud[4].

The IP refers to individuals who despite notable accomplishments fail to internalize success and attribute it to external factors such as luck[5]. The concept was first introduced in 1978 by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes and is also referred to as imposter syndrome or perceived fraudulence[6]. Clance later stated that IP can affect anyone who struggles to accept their own achievements[7]. Some studies have shown that self-compassion is inversely related to imposter feelings, possibly acting as a mediating factor in its development[8]. Although not recognized as a formal psychiatric diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5^th edition), IP is increasingly acknowledged in mental health discourse[9].

Importantly, imposter feelings are not solely driven by internal traits but also by environmental and social pressures that cause individuals to question their competence[10]. IP is prevalent in demanding academic and professional settings, including among undergraduate and postgraduate students[6]. For instance, a 1998 study found that 30% of students in medical and allied health fields experienced IP[5]. Similarly, 35% of engineering students and 15% of library science students reported imposter feelings[11]. Those affected may hesitate to share ideas, avoid leadership, and procrastinate, behaviors that ultimately impair academic and professional growth[5,12].

Resilience

Resilience refers to the capacity to successfully adapt to and recover from adversity[13]. It involves traits such as perseverance, emotional regulation, and the ability to maintain purpose and hope despite hardship[14]. First described by psychologist Norman Garmezy, resilience has since been refined to include both individual and social dimensions[13]. Despite its growing popularity resilience remains a somewhat abstract construct[15].

Protective characteristics such as self-confidence, purpose, and spiritual habits are associated with higher resilience and lower stress levels[16]. In addition to internal strengths, external support like education and career opportunities play a role in fostering resilience[17]. The concept has gained particular relevance in academic settings in which students with higher resilience show better coping and reduced psychological distress[18]. Studies have also shown that resilience can be taught and cultivated through targeted programs[19,20], making it a promising focus for student mental health initiatives.

Relationship between IP and resilience

Strategies to manage IP include acknowledging achievements, seeking support, and cultivating positive feedback[21]. Resilience in this context is thought to buffer individuals from the self-doubt and perceived fraudulence characteristic of IP[21]. Research suggests that both internal strengths and external supports influence resilience, which in turn can mitigate imposter feelings[21]. Developing a mindset that views mistakes as opportunities for growth can reduce the risk of IP and improve student well-being[21].

While previous research such as Camara et al[8] examined the link between resilience and IP among medical students in other countries, our study extended these findings by including students from multiple disciplines and universities within Lebanon. By situating the investigation in a distinct sociocultural and educational context marked by economic and political challenges, this work provided new insight into how resilience interacts with impostor feelings under unique regional stressors. This study aimed to further examine the relationship between resilience and IP among university students in Lebanon.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study design and setting

This study was a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study targeting students of all majors from the top five universities in Lebanon (American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, Beirut Arab University, Lebanese University, Universitié Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth) according to “Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023.” Data collection was conducted on June 22-26, 2023 via an anonymous, self-administered, English web-based survey using google forms.

Recruitment and study participants

Convenience sampling combined with a snowball technique was employed. Because this was a non-random online survey distributed through social media and peer networks, participation was limited to students who voluntarily responded, introducing a potential self-selection bias. Therefore, the resulting sample reflects voluntary participation rather than random selection, and findings should be interpreted as indicative of trends within the surveyed group rather than representative of all Lebanese university students. A list of faculty representatives for each university was prepared, and the survey was sent to these representatives after which they were asked to distribute it among their colleagues.

Questionnaire

Our 42-item questionnaire was divided into four sections: A demographic section; a section for assessing factors that might be related to IP or resilience; “Young Imposter Scale” section; and “10 item-Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10)” section.

Sociodemographic section: Demographic information gathered from participants included: Age; gender; marital status; nationality; governorate; living arrangement; and current smoking status.

Associated questions section: Educational characteristics of the participants including their university, field and level of education, and employment status were assessed. Moreover, students were required to answer questions related to their personal experiences with failure, changing majors, taking a gap year, high workload, major satisfaction, study hours, training courses attendance, lack of support, family or cultural background, coping strategies practice, and diagnosed mental health conditions. The questionnaire was only available in the English language and a pilot test involving 30 Lebanese students was conducted to ensure linguistic clarity and cultural comprehensibility of the English questionnaire. Minor wording adjustments were made based on participant feedback, confirming adequate face validity for this population. However, no formal psychometric validation was performed and is acknowledged as a limitation of this study.

Measures

The Young Imposter Scale was utilized to dichotomously evaluate the presence or absence of IP. The Young Imposter Scale is an eight question tool; each question is a reflection for imposter-like sentiment. Answering “yes” to at least five of these questions was recognized as a positive finding of IP[22]. Cronbach’s α of the scale was shown to have a satisfactory standardized value of 0.74[23]. Although the Young Imposter Scale has not been formally validated in Lebanon, its acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.74) has been demonstrated internationally. Combined with our pilot testing confirming item clarity, this supports its suitability for preliminary use in the Lebanese context. However, it should be noted that the Young Imposter Scale was originally designed within Western academic settings, and no qualitative pretesting was conducted to verify whether Lebanese students’ perceptions of self-doubt or failure fully align with the original semantic intent of the items. Cultural stigma around admitting self-doubt may therefore have influenced responses, and this is acknowledged as a methodological limitation.

The CD-RISC-10 is a unidimensional, self-reported instrument comprising ten items that assess resilience. The applicants assessed the degree to which each question represented them on a five-point Likert scale, extending from 0 (not true at all) to 4 (true nearly all the time). Scores for the CD-RISC-10 range from 0 to 40 with higher scores signifying stronger resilience[24]. CD-RISC-10 was described to have a satisfactory internal reliability with a Cronbach’s α of 0.85 and construct validity[9]. Similarly, the CD-RISC-10 has demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.85) across diverse cultural settings, supporting its cross-cultural applicability.

Sample size

Considering that more than 10000 students were enrolled across the five universities across different faculties, we assumed a population size greater than 10000. Margin of error was set at 5%, confidence interval at 95%, and population proportion at 50%, and we assumed a power of 80. Sample size was estimated using the Raosoft^® online calculator (Raosoft Inc., Seattle, WA, United States), applying a 95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error, and 50% population proportion (parameters consistent with the Morgan and Krejcie sample size determination table). The resulting estimate was 384, and assuming an 80% completion rate, the minimum required sample size was 480. However, we were able to gather 630 responses. Incomplete responses were excluded from analysis.

Statistical analysis

Statistical analyses were performed on SPSS version 28. Categorical and continuous numerical variables were demonstrated as n (%) and mean ± SD, respectively. Data were not normally distributed according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, so nonparametric tests were used. To compare two means, we performed the Mann-Whitney U test. As for the comparison of multiple means, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. The χ² test was used to detect differences in categorical variables. The association between IP and resilience was assessed using Mann-Whitney U test. All P values below 0.05 were set to be significant. Effect sizes (r for Mann-Whitney U and η² for Kruskal-Wallis) were calculated to assess the magnitude of significant differences.

Because multiple sociodemographic and academic variables showed significant bivariate associations with IP and resilience, these tables effectively summarized the predictors that would be included in multivariable models. The results can thus be interpreted as preliminary unadjusted analyses analogous to regression screening. This study adhered to the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology checklist for cross-sectional studies.

Ethical considerations

No incentive for participation was provided. No one was asked to put their name or any personal identification, all collected data were confidential, and participants were free to leave at any time. Participants signed an informed consent by pressing on the link and proceeding to complete the survey. The Institutional Review Board of Beirut Arab University reviewed and approved this study (Approval No. 2023-H-131-M-R-0504).

RESULTS

Effect-size measures were calculated for all significant findings to complement P values. For the Mann-Whitney U tests, effect size r was reported, and for the Kruskal-Wallis tests, η² was used to indicate the magnitude of differences; most associations showed small-to-moderate effects (r approximately 0.20-0.35).

Sociodemographic characteristics of participants

The study included 630 participants, most of whom were female (65.7%) while 34.3% were male. This female predominance reflects the current gender distribution in Lebanese higher education in which females constitute roughly two-thirds of university enrollment according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 2023 statistics. Their ages ranged from less than 18 to 35 years with more than half (52.1%) being 20 to 22 years (20.15 ± 1.85). An overwhelming 97.8% of participants were single. Most of the participants (93.3%) were Lebanese. Geographically, about one-third originated from Mount Lebanon (31.4%) and another one-third from Beirut (29%). In terms of living arrangements, 80.6% of participants were residing with their families while 19.4% were living in dormitories. Most of the participants (83.7%) were nonsmokers (Table 1).

Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of participants (n = 630).

Demographic characteristic	Frequency
Age (years)	20.15 ± 1.85
< 18	2 (0.3)
18-19	255 (40.5)
20-22	328 (52.1)
23-25	35 (5.6)
26-30	8 (1.3)
31-35	2 (0.3)
Gender
Female	414 (65.7)
Male	216 (34.3)
Marital status
Single	616 (97.8)
Married	14 (2.2)
Nationality
Lebanese	588 (93.3)
Syrian	9 (1.4)
Palestinian	23 (3.7)
Others1	10 (1.6)
Governorate
Beirut	183 (29.0)
Mount Lebanon	198 (31.4)
Bekaa	64 (10.2)
Baalbak-Hermel	38 (6.0)
Akkar	4 (0.6)
Nabatieh	31 (4.9)
South Lebanon	82 (13.0)
North Lebanon	22 (3.5)
Keserwan-Jbeil	8 (1.3)
Living arrangement
Living with a family	508 (80.6)
Living in a dormitory	122 (19.4)
Current smoking status
Non-smoker	527 (83.7)
Smoker	103 (16.3)

¹Including United States of America, Colombia, France, Spain, Jordan, Egypt, and Canada.

Data are presented as mean ± SD or n (%).

Educational characteristics of participant

The American University of Beirut accounted for 17.9% of participants, Lebanese American University for 16.8%, Beirut Arab University for 21.3%, Lebanese University for 26.8%, and Universitié Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth for 17.1%. Among the participants less than half (47.6%) majored in the healthcare field while the rest (52.4%) pursued a major outside the healthcare industry. Regarding the level of education in the academic year 2022-2023, about one-third of the participants (33.5%) were year 2 undergraduates. Moreover, less than one-third (28.3%) of participants worked alongside their studies (Table 2).

Table 2 Educational characteristics of participants (n = 630).

Educational characteristic	Frequency
University
American University of Beirut	113 (17.9)
Lebanese American University	106 (16.8)
Beirut Arab University	134 (21.3)
Lebanese University	169 (26.8)
Universitié Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth	108 (17.1)
Do you major in a healthcare field?
Yes	300 (47.6)
No	330 (52.4)
Level of education in the academic year 2022-2023
Year 1, undergraduate	186 (29.5)
Year 2, undergraduate	211 (33.5)
Year 3, undergraduate	153 (24.3)
Year 4, undergraduate	34 (5.4)
Year 5, undergraduate	5 (8.0)
Year 6, undergraduate	5 (8.0)
Year 7, undergraduate	0 (0)
Master 1, graduate	23 (3.7)
Master 2, graduate	5 (8.0)
PhD, graduate	8 (1.3)
Do you work alongside your studies?
Yes	178 (28.3)
No	452 (71.7)

Data are presented as n (%).

Personal experiences of the participant

Out of 630 participants 11.1% failed an academic year in the university, 19.4% transferred majors, and 13.5% took a gap year. Most of the respondents (83.5%) reported feeling overwhelmed with academic tasks, and 80.6% were satisfied with their major. One-third of the participants studied 3-4 h per day. Regarding the change in grades from school to university, the percentage of the respondents were evenly split between those who had improved and worsened grades (35.1% for each) while the remaining had no change in their grades (29.8%). Almost 46% of the participants used to attend training courses, practical sessions, or workshops. Approximately 38.3% felt unsupported by their family members, peers, friends, and professors, and 87.8% of the respondents admitted that their families placed a high value on their achievements and successes. Most of the participants were not clinically diagnosed with any mental health conditions (76.2%). Overall, 72.7% practiced coping strategies that differed between exercise, meditation, hobbies, talking to a counselor, smoking, alcohol, and other approaches among which exercise was the most used (26.5%; Table 3).

Table 3 Personal experiences of the participants (n = 630).

Question	Frequency
Have you ever failed an academic year in university?
Yes	70 (11.1)
No	560 (88.9)
Have you ever transferred majors?
Yes	122 (19.4)
No	508 (80.6)
Have you ever taken a gap year?
Yes	85 (13.5)
No	545 (86.5)
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with academic tasks?
Yes	526 (83.5)
No	104 (16.5)
Do you feel satisfied with your major?
Yes	508 (80.6)
No	122 (19.4)
On average, how many hours do you study per day?
Less than 1 h	70 (11.1)
1-2 h	162 (25.7)
3-4 h	206 (32.7)
5-6 h	101 (16.0)
More than 6 h	91 (14.4)
How did your grades change from school to university?
Improved	221 (35.1)
Worsened	221 (35.1)
Did not change	188 (29.8)
Do you frequently attend training courses, practical sessions, or workshops?
Yes	290 (46.0)
No	340 (54.0)
Have you ever felt unsupported by your family members, peers, friends, and/or professors?
Yes	241 (38.3)
No	389 (61.7)
Does your family place a high value on your achievements and successes?
Yes	553 (87.8)
No	77 (12.2)
Have you been clinically diagnosed with a mental health condition?
Yes	156 (24.8)
No	474 (75.2)
Do you practice any of these coping strategies?
Meditation	28 (4.4)
Exercise	167 (26.5)
Hobbies	129 (20.5)
Talking to a counselor	22 (3.5)
Smoking	37 (5.9)
Alcohol	4 (6.0)
Other	71 (11.3)
I do not practice any coping strategies	172 (27.3)

Data are presented as n (%).

Young Imposter Scale: Items and correlation with other characteristics

Overall IP was present among 42.5% of the participants (Figure 1; Table 4). A statistically significant association was found between IP and gender (P < 0.001) with females having IP more than males (47.3% vs 33.3%), marital status (P = 0.031) in which the majority were single (43.1%), governorate (P < 0.001) in which people living in Keserwan Jbeil were found to have more IP (75%), and working alongside studies (P = 0.036) with unemployed participants reaching higher percentages of IP (45.1%; Table 5).

Figure 1 Imposter phenomenon (n = 630).

Table 4 Young Imposter Scale items (n = 630).

Item	Yes	No
Do you secretly worry that others will find out that you’re not as bright and capable as they think you are?	361 (57.3)	269 (42.7)
Do you sometimes shy away from challenges because of a nagging self-doubt?	361 (57.3)	269 (42.7)
Do you tend to chalk your accomplishments up to being a “fluke,” “no big deal,” or the fact that people just “like” you?	291 (46.2)	339 (53.8)
Do you hate making a mistake, being less than fully prepared, or not doing things perfectly?	522 (82.9)	108 (17.1)
Do you tend to feel crushed even by constructive criticism, seeing it as evidence of your “ineptness?”	281 (44.6)	349 (55.4)
When you do succeed, do you think “Phew, I fooled them this time, but I may not be so lucky next time?”	201 (31.9)	429 (68.1)
Do you believe that other people (students, colleagues, competitors) are smarter and more capable than you?	319 (50.6)	311 (49.4)
Do you live in fear of being found out, discovered, or unmasked?	191 (30.3)	439 (69.7)

Data are presented as n (%).

Table 5 Correlation between imposter phenomenon and other characteristics (n = 630).

Characteristic	Imposter phenomenon		P value
	Yes	No
Age (years)
< 18		2 (100)	0.648
18-19	112 (43.9)	143 (56.1)
20-22	139 (42.4)	189 (57.6)
23-25	14 (40.0)	21 (60.0)
26-30	3 (37.5)	5 (62.5)
31-35		2 (100)
Gender
Female	196 (47.3)	218 (52.7)	< 0.001b
Male	72 (33.3)	144 (66.7)
Marital status
Single	266 (43.1)	350 (56.8)	0.031a
Married	2 (14.3)	12 (85.7)
Nationality
Lebanese	248 (42.2)	340 (57.8)	0.827
Syrian	5 (55.6)	4 (44.4)
Palestinian	10 (43.5)	13 (56.5)
Others1	5 (50.0)	5 (50.0)
Governorate
Beirut	88 (48.1)	95 (51.9)	< 0.001b
Mount Lebanon	75 (37.9)	123 (62.1)
Bekaa	24 (37.5)	40 (62.5)
Baalbak-Hermel	7 (18.4)	31 (81.6)
Akkar		4 (100)
Nabatieh	13 (42.0)	18 (58.0)
South Lebanon	46 (56.1)	36 (43.9)
North Lebanon	9 (40.9)	13 (59.1)
Keserwan-Jbeil	6 (75.0)	2 (25.0)
Living arrangement
Living with a family	207 (40.7)	301 (59.3)	0.063
Living in a dormitory	61 (50.0)	61 (50.0)
Current smoking status
Non-smoker	227 (43.1)	300 (56.9)	0.539
Smoker	41 (39.8)	62 (60.2)
University
American University of Beirut	55 (48.7)	58 (51.3)	0.106
Lebanese American University	49 (46.2)	57 (53.8)
Beirut Arab University	63 (47.0)	71 (53.0)
Lebanese University	62 (36.7)	107 (63.3)
Universitié Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth	39 (36.1)	69 (63.9)
Do you major in a healthcare field?
Yes	129 (43.0)	171 (57.0)	0.824
No	129 (40.3)	191 (59.7)
Level of education in the academic year 2022-2023
Year 1, undergraduate	82 (44.1)	104 (55.9)	0.633
Year 2, undergraduate	91 (43.1)	120 (56.9)
Year 3, undergraduate	60 (39.2)	93 (60.8)
Year 4, undergraduate	16 (47.1)	18 (52.9)
Year 5, undergraduate	4 (80.0)	1 (20.0)
Year 6, undergraduate	2 (40.0)	3 (60.0)
Year 7, undergraduate	0 (0)	0 (0)
Master 1, graduate	10 (43.5)	13 (56.5)
Master 2, graduate	1 (20.0)	4 (80.0)
PhD, graduate	2 (25.0)	6 (75.0)
Do you work alongside your studies?
Yes	64 (36.0)	114 (64.0)	0.036a
No	204 (45.1)	248 (54.9)
Have you ever failed an academic year in university?
Yes	32 (45.7)	38 (54.3)	0.569
No	236 (42.1)	324 (57.9)
Have you ever transferred majors?
Yes	50 (41.0)	72 (59.0)	0.699
No	218 (42.9)	290 (57.1)
Have you ever taken a gap year?
Yes	38 (44.7)	47 (55.3)	0.664
No	230 (42.2)	315 (57.8)
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with academic tasks?
Yes	251 (47.7)	275 (52.3)	< 0.001b
No	17 (16.3)	87 (83.7)
Do you feel satisfied with your major?
Yes	205 (40.4)	303 (59.6)	0.024a
No	63 (51.6)	59 (48.4)
On average, how many hours do you study per day?
Less than 1 h	27 (38.6)	43 (61.4)	0.916
1-2 h	68 (42.0)	94 (58.0)
3-4 h	88 (42.7)	118 (57.3)
5-6 h	43 (42.6)	58 (57.4)
More than 6 h	42 (46.2)	49 (53.8)
How did your grades change from school to university?
Improved	79 (35.7)	142 (64.3)	< 0.001b
Worsened	119 (53.8)	102 (46.2)
Didn’t change	70 (37.2)	118 (62.8)
Do you frequently attend training courses, practical sessions, or workshops?
Yes	118 (40.7)	172 (59.3)	0.386
No	150 (44.1)	190 (55.9)
Have you ever felt unsupported by your family members, peers, friends, and/or professors?
Yes	145 (60.2)	96 (39.8)	< 0.001b
No	123 (31.6)	266 (68.4)
Does your family place a high value on your achievements and successes?
Yes	234 (42.3)	319 (57.7)	0.759
No	34 (44.2)	43 (55.8)
Have you been clinically diagnosed with a mental health condition?
Yes	80 (51.3)	76 (48.7)	0.011a
No	188 (39.7)	286 (60.3)
Do you practice any of these coping strategies?
Meditation	14 (50.0)	14 (50.0)	< 0.001b
Exercise	61 (36.5)	106 (63.5)
Hobbies	49 (38.0)	80 (62.0)
Talking to a counselor	19 (86.4)	3 (13.6)
Other	35 (49.3)	36 (50.7)
I do not practice any coping strategies	76 (44.2)	96 (55.8)
Smoking	14 (37.8)	23 (62.2)
Alcohol		4 (100)

¹Including United States of America, Colombia, France, Spain, Jordan, Egypt, Canada. Other characteristics include sociodemographic characteristics and personal experiences of the participant.

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.001.

Moreover, IP was also found to be associated with feeling overwhelmed with academic tasks (P < 0.001, 47.7%), being satisfied with major (P = 0.024) in which those who were satisfied with their major were less likely to experience IP (59.6%), change of grades from school to university (P < 0.001 ) in which participants who had their grades worsened were more likely to experience IP (53.8%), feeling unsupported by their family members, peers, and/or professors (P < 0.001, 60.2%), being clinically diagnosed with a mental health condition (P = 0.011, 51.3%), and practicing coping strategies (P < 0.001) with 86.4% of the participants that talked to a counselor had IP (Table 5).

However, IP was not found to be associated with any age (P = 0.648), nationality (P = 0.827), living arrangement (P = 0.063), current smoking status (P = 0.539), university (P = 0.106), majoring in healthcare field (P = 0.824), level of education (P = 0.633), failing an academic year (P = 0.569), transferring major (P = 0.699), taking a gap year (P = 0.664), study hours per day (P = 0.916), attending training courses, practical sessions, or workshops (P = 0.386), and family placing high value on achievements and successes (P = 0.759; Table 5).

CD-RISC-10: Items, mean, and correlation with other characteristics

The students’ mean resilience score was 25.51 ± 6.79 (Tables 6 and 7). We found a statistically significant association between resilience and male gender (P < 0.001, mean of 26.86), working along with studies (P = 0.01, mean of 26.51), not failing an academic year in university (P < 0.001, mean of 25.86), not taking a gap year (P = 0.034, mean of 25.79), not being overwhelmed by academic tasks (P = 0.02, mean of 27.08), feeling satisfied with major (P < 0001, mean of 26.1), improvement of grades from school to university (P < 0.001, mean of 26.89), attending training courses, practical sessions, and workshops (P = 0.022, mean of 26.14), family members, peers, and professors support in which those not feeling unsupported had higher scores of resilience (P < 0.001, mean of 26.94), mental health conditions in which clinically undiagnosed participants were more resilient (P < 0.001, mean of 26.33), and practicing meditation mainly as a coping strategy (P = 0.002, mean of 27.32). Resilience was not found to be associated with age (P = 0.627), marital status (P = 0.187), nationality (P = 0.547), governorate (P = 0.381), living arrangement(P = 0.92), current smoking status (P = 0.812), university (P = 0.963), majoring in healthcare field (P = 0.821), level of education (P = 0.27), transferring majors (P = 0.110), study hours per day (P = 0.415), and family placing high value on achievements and successes (P = 0.622; Table 8).

Table 6 10 item-Connor Davidson Resilience Scale items.

Item	Not true at all	Rarely true	Sometimes true	Often true	True nearly all the time
I am able to adapt when changes occur	17 (2.7)	49 (7.8)	212 (33.7)	218 (34.6)	134 (21.3)
I can deal with whatever comes my way	18 (2.9)	46 (7.3)	208 (33.0)	235 (37.3)	123 (19.5)
I try to see the humorous side of things when I am faced with problems	47 (7.5)	101 (16.0)	206 (32.7)	168 (26.7)	108 (17.1)
Having to cope with stress can make me stronger	52 (8.3)	84 (13.3)	192 (30.5)	187 (29.7)	115 (18.3)
I tend to bounce back after illness, injury, or other hardships	27 (4.3)	68 (10.8)	200 (31.7)	208 (33.0)	127 (20.2)
I believe I can achieve my goals even if there are obstacles	12 (1.9)	24 (3.8)	129 (20.5)	219 (34.8)	246 (39.0)
Under pressure I stay focused and think clearly	50 (7.9)	81 (12.9)	192 (30.5)	205 (32.5)	102 (16.2)
I am not easily discouraged by failure	36 (5.7)	131 (20.8)	178 (28.3)	175 (27.8)	110 (17.5)
I think of myself as a strong person when dealing with life’s challenges and difficulties	18 (2.9)	56 (8.9)	157 (24.9)	201 (31.9)	198 (31.4)
I am able to handle unpleasant or painful feelings like sadness, fear, and anger	38 (6.0)	71 (11.3)	195 (31.0)	179 (28.4)	147 (23.3)

Data are presented as n (%).

Table 7 10 item-Connor Davidson Resilience Scale means.

Item	Mean items/4 ± SD	Mean scale/40 ± SD
I am able to adapt when changes occur	2.64 ± 0.987	25.51 ± 6.79
I can deal with whatever comes my way	2.63 ± 0.970
I try to see the humorous side of things when I am faced with problems	2.30 ± 1.150
Having to cope with stress can make me stronger	2.36 ± 1.166
I tend to bounce back after illness, injury, or other hardships	2.54 ± 1.061
I believe I can achieve my goals even if there are obstacles	3.05 ± 0.958
Under pressure I stay focused and think clearly	2.36 ± 1.136
I am not easily discouraged by failure	2.30 ± 1.150
I think of myself as a strong person when dealing with life's challenges and difficulties	2.80 ± 1.067
I am able to handle unpleasant or painful feelings like sadness, fear, and anger	2.52 ± 1.143

SD: Standard deviation.

Table 8 Correlation between resilience and other characteristics (n = 630).

Characteristic	Resilience mean/40	P value
Age (years)
< 18	22.00	0.63
18-19	25.25
20-22	25.88
23-25	24.10
26-30	26.00
31-35	25.50
Gender
Female	24.81	< 0.001c
Male	26.86
Marital status
Single	25.57	0.310
Married	23.14
Nationality
Lebanese	25.53	0.486
Syrian	22.67
Palestinian	25.48
Others1	27.10
Governorate
Beirut	24.88	0.404
Mount Lebanon	26.25
Bekaa	25.94
Baalbak-Hermel	25.08
Akkar	28.75
Nabatieh	25.39
South Lebanon	24.50
North Lebanon	27.27
Keserwan-Jbeil	24.88
Living arrangement
Living with a family	25.53	0.838
Living in a dormitory	25.46
Current smoking status
Non-smoker	25.49	0.699
Smoker	25.66
University
American University of Beirut	25.79	0.931
Lebanese American University	25.75
Beirut Arab University	25.34
Lebanese University	25.50
Universitié Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth	25.22
Do you major in a healthcare field?
Yes	25.45	0.748
No	25.57
Level of education in the academic year 2022-2023
Year 1, undergraduate	25.03	0.21
Year 2, undergraduate	25.49
Year 3, undergraduate	26.14
Year 4, undergraduate	25.65
Year 5, undergraduate	20.60
Year 6, undergraduate	31.00
Year 7, undergraduate	0
Master 1, graduate	24.96
Master 2, graduate	29.00
PhD, graduate	24.13
Do you work alongside your studies?
Yes	26.51	0.01a
No	25.12
Have you ever failed an academic year in university?
Yes	22.71	< 0.001c
No	25.86
Have you ever transferred majors?
Yes	24.32	0.110
No	25.8
Have you ever taken a gap year?
Yes	23.75	0.034a
No	25.79
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with academic tasks?
Yes	25.21	0.02a
No	27.08
Do you feel satisfied with your major?
Yes	26.10	< 0.001c
No	23.07
On average, how many hours do you study per day?
Less than 1 h	25.50	0.419
1-2 h	25.79
3-4 h	24.84
5-6 h	25.64
More than 6 h	26.41
How did your grades change from school to university?
Improved	26.89	< 0.001c
Worsened	23.82
Did not change	25.88
Do you frequently attend training courses, practical sessions, or workshops?
Yes	26.14	0.022a
No	24.98
Have you ever felt unsupported by your family members, peers, friends, and/or professors?
Yes	23.21	< 0.001c
No	26.94
Does your family place a high value on your achievements and successes?
Yes	25.56	0.629
No	25.16
Have you been clinically diagnosed with a mental health condition?
Yes	23.04	< 0.001c
No	26.33
Do you practice any of these coping strategies?
Meditation	27.32	0.002b
Exercise	26.33
Hobbies	26.64
Talking to a counselor	23.05
Other	24.14
I don’t practice any coping strategies	24.35
Smoking	26.62
Alcohol	20.50

¹Including United States of America, Colombia, France, Spain, Jordan, Egypt, Canada. Other characteristics include sociodemographic characteristics and personal experiences of the participant.

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01.

^cP < 0.001.

Correlation between IP and resilience

IP was significantly associated with resilience (P < 0.001); students with IP had a lower mean resilience score (mean of 22.27) than those without IP (mean of 27.92; Table 9).

Table 9 Correlation between imposter phenomenon and resilience (n = 630).

	Resilience mean/40	P value
Imposter phenomenon
Yes	22.27	< 0.001a
No	27.92

^aP < 0.001.

DISCUSSION

IP

This study revealed a high prevalence of IP among Lebanese university students with approximately 42.5% of participants experiencing symptoms. This finding aligns with growing concerns about mental health in university populations and underscores IP as a relevant public health issue. A notable gender-based difference was found with higher IP levels observed among females, a result echoed in previous literature, such as a study on family medicine residents[25]. Gender bias, stereotyping, and discriminatory environments may contribute to stress and self-doubt among female students, increasing imposter feelings. Interestingly, our study also found regional variation in IP across Lebanese governorates, suggesting cultural and societal factors may influence students’ resilience and vulnerability to IP.

No significant difference in IP was noted between healthcare and non-healthcare majors, supporting the notion that IP is rooted more in personal insecurity than in academic discipline[5]. Our study uniquely identified correlations between IP and factors such as academic overload, decline in academic performance from school to university, and employment status. Students overwhelmed by academic tasks or those who experienced declining grades exhibited higher levels of IP, potentially stemming from performance-related self-doubt and societal expectations. Conversely, employed students showed lower IP levels, possibly because workplace affirmation helps individuals internalize their competencies and success. Regional variation may reflect differences in educational resources, socioeconomic conditions, and exposure to competitive environments, factors that influence both perceived competence and self-worth. Similarly, students who work while studying may develop greater self-efficacy and real-world validation of their skills, buffering against impostor feelings.

A strong association was also observed between IP and indicators of poor mental health. Persistent self-doubt, fear of exposure, and perceived inadequacy have all been linked to depression and anxiety[4,26]. Our findings showed that students suffering from IP were more likely to seek counseling, potentially as a coping mechanism to process the emotional distress tied to imposter feelings. Support from family, peers, or mentors appeared to buffer against IP, underscoring the protective role of social support. Cultural and humanitarian factors specific to Lebanon may further influence these patterns. Lebanese students often contend with economic instability, political uncertainty, and societal expectations of academic excellence, which may intensify feelings of inadequacy and pressure to achieve. Moreover, cultural stigma around admitting self-doubt could exacerbate imposter experiences while simultaneously discouraging help-seeking, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive mental health interventions.

Resilience

Our findings emphasized that resilience plays a crucial role in maintaining students’ mental well-being. Adaptive coping strategies, such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, and counseling, were positively associated with resilience. Participation in workshops and training sessions also enhanced resilience by equipping students with problem-solving and interpersonal skills.

Existing studies confirm that stress impairs academic performance[27] while resilience enables students to manage stress effectively, especially during key transitions like entering university[28]. Resilient students in our sample were more likely to report satisfaction with their academic majors, likely due to better psychological coping and outlook. Social support from family, friends, or professors was another key factor linked to increased resilience. Notably, resilience was significantly higher among students without mental health diagnoses, a finding that supports prior research[29]. The absence of psychiatric symptoms may facilitate better stress management and emotional stability while higher self-esteem and a proactive mindset may protect against setbacks and encourage growth.

IP and resilience

A significant inverse relationship between IP and resilience was identified, consistent with previous findings[30]. While earlier research often focused on medical students, our sample spanned various academic majors and institutions, offering a broader understanding of the mental health landscape in higher education.

Although multivariable regression modeling was not performed, Tables 5 and 8 outline key unadjusted predictors of IP and resilience, respectively. Future work with larger samples could expand upon these associations using adjusted regression frameworks. Due to the cross-sectional nature of our study, causality cannot be inferred. However, the literature suggests that students with higher IP experience greater burnout, which can escalate into mood disorders[26]. Resilience appears to protect against burnout, reinforcing its relevance in interventions addressing IP. Encouragingly, resilience is a modifiable trait[31], making it a viable target for university-based mental health programs. Recent cross-cultural research further supports these findings, demonstrating how resilience and impostor experiences vary across post-pandemic academic settings and cultural contexts[32,33].

Limitations

This study presented several limitations. First, IP is not formally recognized as a psychiatric disorder and lacks standardized diagnostic criteria in manuals such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5^th edition)[9]. Consequently, measurement tools vary across studies, making comparisons difficult. Similarly, the CD-RISC-10 lacks specific cutoff points, complicating the classification of resilience level. Although the survey was administered in English, the primary language of instruction in the participating universities, the scales have not been formally validated in Lebanese cultural settings, potentially affecting semantic equivalence and response interpretation. The use of convenience and snowball sampling limited representativeness and prevented population-level inference.

Moreover, this cross-sectional design precluded causal inference between IP and resilience. The use of self-report measures may have introduced social desirability bias. The predominance of female participants could reflect actual gender distributions in higher education in Lebanon but limits generalization to male students. Although the proportion of female respondents mirrors national enrollment trends, the gender imbalance may still affect comparative generalization. Finally, cultural differences in expressing self-doubt or resilience might have influenced responses. Additionally, because recruitment relied on voluntary participation through convenience and snowball sampling without randomization, the sample may overrepresent students who are more motivated or digitally connected, limiting generalizability to the wider student population. Finally, while the study sampled students from the top five universities in Lebanon, university rankings differ by methodology, potentially affecting generalizability. Additionally, data collection via online survey may have excluded students from disadvantaged backgrounds without reliable internet access, introducing a socioeconomic bias.

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted the high prevalence of IP among Lebanese university students and its significant inverse relationship with resilience. Female gender, feeling overwhelmed, lack of support, and worsened academic performance were key correlates of imposter feelings, whereas satisfaction with one’s major and adaptive coping strategies were linked to greater resilience. Despite these insights several limitations warrant consideration. The use of a non-random, convenience-based online survey may have introduced selection bias, and the cross-sectional design precluded causal inference. The predominance of female participants and reliance on English-language scales not yet validated in the Lebanese context may limit generalizability and semantic equivalence. Cultural factors, such as academic pressure, socioeconomic instability, and the stigma surrounding self-doubt, may also have influenced how students perceived and reported imposter feelings and resilience. Despite these limitations the findings emphasize resilience as a protective buffer against the IP. Strengthening coping capacity through resilience-building workshops, mentorship, and institutional support may reduce self-doubt and performance-related anxiety. Future research should employ culturally adapted and psychometrically validated tools, larger and more representative samples, and longitudinal or regression-based analyses to clarify causal pathways and guide evidence-based student mental health interventions in Lebanon and similar contexts.