Struggling with Self-Doubt: Impostor Phenomenon and Mental Health among Medical Students at Universitas Sumatera Utara Medan, Indonesia.

Q2 Medicine

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health Pub Date : 2025-07-11 eCollection Date: 2025-01-01 DOI:10.2174/0117450179397570250706100944

Ruhut Sion Simanjuntak, Rina Amelia, Elmeida Effendy, Yuki Yunanda

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction: Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is a common condition experienced by medical students and professionals who face high academic pressures and competitive environments, and is thought to be associated with other psychological conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Factors, such as gender and academic year, are also suspected to influence the development of IP experienced by individuals. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with IP among students at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara.

Methods: This analytical study employed a cross-sectional design. Variables assessed included gender, academic year, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Several questionnaires were used for data collection, such as CIPS, PHQ-9, GAD-7, and RSES questionnaires. Data analysis utilized Chi-square tests to investigate the relationship between each independent variable and Poisson regression tests to evaluate the correlation between all independent variables using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS Inc.).

Results: A total of 347 students participated, revealing that 58.8% of medical students experienced IP, with a greater prevalence among females and the highest prevalence among second-year students. Data analysis revealed a significant association between IP and symptoms of depression (PR = 1.530; 95% CI = 1.229-1.904; P < 0.001), anxiety (PR = 1.317; 95% CI = 1.095-1.583, P = 0.003), and low self-esteem (PR = 1.237; 95% CI = 1.066-1.449; P = 0.008).

Discussion: This study reinforces that psychological factors, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, are strongly associated with the impostor phenomenon (IP) among medical students, while gender and academic year are not. The findings highlight the need for early mental health support to help students manage self-doubt and academic stress.

Conclusion: The study highlights a high prevalence of IP among medical students, with a significant relationship between IP, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem.

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挣扎于自我怀疑：冒名顶替现象和医学院学生的心理健康在苏门答腊北棉兰大学，印度尼西亚。

冒名顶替现象（IP）是医学生和专业人士面临高学术压力和竞争环境时常见的一种情况，被认为与其他心理状况有关，如焦虑、抑郁和低自尊。性别和学年等因素也被怀疑会影响个人经历的知识产权发展。本研究旨在分析苏门答腊北方大学医学院学生知识产权的相关因素。方法：本分析研究采用横断面设计。评估的变量包括性别、学年、抑郁、焦虑和自尊。采用CIPS、PHQ-9、GAD-7、RSES等问卷进行数据收集。数据分析使用卡方检验来调查每个自变量之间的关系，并使用SPSS Inc.的统计软件包来评估所有自变量之间的相关性。结果：共有347名学生参与调查，58.8%的医学生经历过IP，其中女生患病率较高，二年级学生患病率最高。数据分析显示，IP与抑郁（PR = 1.530; 95% CI = 1.229-1.904; P < 0.001）、焦虑（PR = 1.317; 95% CI = 1.095-1.583, P = 0.003）和自卑（PR = 1.237; 95% CI = 1.066-1.449; P = 0.008）之间存在显著关联。讨论：本研究强调心理因素，包括抑郁、焦虑和低自尊，与医学生的冒名顶替现象（IP）密切相关，而性别和学年无关。研究结果强调了早期心理健康支持的必要性，以帮助学生管理自我怀疑和学业压力。结论：本研究强调医学生中IP患病率较高，IP与抑郁、焦虑和自尊之间存在显著关系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health is an open access online journal, which publishes Research articles, Reviews, Letters in all areas of clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health covering the following topics: Clinical and epidemiological research in psychiatry and mental health; diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of mental health conditions; and frequencies and determinants of mental health conditions in the community and the populations at risk; research and economic aspects of psychiatry, with special attention given to manuscripts presenting new results and methods in the area; and clinical epidemiologic investigation of pharmaceutical agents. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, a peer reviewed journal, aims to provide the most complete and reliable source of information on current developments in the field. The emphasis will be on publishing quality articles rapidly and freely available worldwide.