Prevalence of self-esteem and imposter syndrome and their associated factors among king saud university medical students

Abstract

Objectives: Our objectives are to estimate the prevalence of self-esteem and imposter syndrome, to compare their prevalence between genders and different academic years, and to determine their associated factors among King Saud University (KSU) medical students. Methods: Our study is a quantitative analytical cross-sectional study. Data were collected on the KSU campus. Participants in this research are KSU medical students including males and females from 1st to 5th year, with a sample size of 502. A stratified random sampling design was used. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire that includes the Young imposter scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and sociodemographic factors. Results: The prevalence of low self-esteem and positive imposter syndrome is 23.6% and 42.1% (n = 573), respectively. There is a positive correlation between low self-esteem and positive imposter syndrome. There is a significant association between self-esteem and gender, mother's education, and Grade Point Average (GPA). Imposter syndrome is significantly associated with gender. Conclusion: Low self-esteem and positive imposter syndrome are prevalent among medical students, especially in the first few years and particularly in female students. These issues affect the mental health of medical students and thus need to be addressed to possibly improve the educational system.