Prevalence of Imposter Phenomenon among DPT Students and Relationship to Depression, Anxiety, Stress and GPA

Abstract

Purpose/Hypothesis: Imposter phenomenon (IP) has been described as a feeling of incompetence despite evidence of competence1 or a fear that one’s colleagues will expose them as a fraud.2 Researchers have demonstrated that IP is prevalent among students in medicine,3,4 nursing,5 pharmacy,6 and dentistry.7 However, no studies have looked at IP prevalence in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of IP in DPT students and the relationship between IP and depression, anxiety, stress, and academic performance. Number of Subjects: 83 students in their final term at three DPT programs. Materials and Methods: A survey was developed that included demographic questions, the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Survey (CIPS), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The survey was sent to 247 DPT students in their final term at three private DPT programs. Eighty-three students completed the survey (34%). Results: Results of the survey indicated an average CIPS score of 62.9, corresponding to “frequently has impostor feelings” and an IP prevalence of 55.5%. A comparison was made with a previous study on medical students. This study sample’s average CIPS score of 62.9 was not significantly different than the comparison group’s (medical students) average of 63.0 (t = -.051, p = .960) nor was the IP prevalence (x2 = .649, p = .420). Average DASS-21 scores were 8.75 (depression), 8.29 (anxiety), and 13.81 (stress), all corresponding to “normal” levels. The Pearson Correlation between CIPS scores and total DASS-21 scores was significant (r = .666, p < .001). Due to high intercorrelations between depression, anxiety, and stress, partial correlations were conducted to investigate their relationships with CIPS scores. Only stress was shown to correlate significantly with CIPS scores, controlling for depression and anxiety (r = .281, p = .011). Finally, a Pearson Correlation test between CIPS scores and students’ GPA found no significant correlation (r = .074, p = .504). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that DPT students in their final DPT program term may exhibit significant levels of IP but normal levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. A significant correlation was found between students with high levels of IP and those with high total levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, indicating a strong relationship between the two. Further analysis revealed that elevated CIPS scores correlated most with high levels of stress. The relationship between IP and GPA was not found to be significant. Clinical Relevance: Among final-term DPT students, higher CIPS scores may indicate a higher prevalence of IP and stress, regardless of GPA. The CIPS may be helpful in identifying students at-risk for abnormally elevated stress. More research is needed to determine if IP is beneficial or detrimental to PT student/clinician future success and, if found detrimental, what can be done to reduce the prevalence of IP.