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

doi:10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114371

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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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©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Psychiatry. Mar 19, 2026; 16(3): 114371
Published online Mar 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114371

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

Characteristic	Imposter phenomenon		P value
Characteristic	Yes	No	P value
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)	< 0.001^b
Male	72 (33.3)	144 (66.7)	< 0.001^b
Marital status
Single	266 (43.1)	350 (56.8)	0.031^a
Married	2 (14.3)	12 (85.7)	0.031^a
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)	< 0.001^b
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)	0.063
Current smoking status
Non-smoker	227 (43.1)	300 (56.9)	0.539
Smoker	41 (39.8)	62 (60.2)	0.539
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)	0.824
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)	0.036^a
No	204 (45.1)	248 (54.9)	0.036^a
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)	0.569
Have you ever transferred majors?
Yes	50 (41.0)	72 (59.0)	0.699
No	218 (42.9)	290 (57.1)	0.699
Have you ever taken a gap year?
Yes	38 (44.7)	47 (55.3)	0.664
No	230 (42.2)	315 (57.8)	0.664
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with academic tasks?
Yes	251 (47.7)	275 (52.3)	< 0.001^b
No	17 (16.3)	87 (83.7)	< 0.001^b
Do you feel satisfied with your major?
Yes	205 (40.4)	303 (59.6)	0.024^a
No	63 (51.6)	59 (48.4)	0.024^a
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)	< 0.001^b
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)	0.386
Have you ever felt unsupported by your family members, peers, friends, and/or professors?
Yes	145 (60.2)	96 (39.8)	< 0.001^b
No	123 (31.6)	266 (68.4)	< 0.001^b
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)	0.759
Have you been clinically diagnosed with a mental health condition?
Yes	80 (51.3)	76 (48.7)	0.011^a
No	188 (39.7)	286 (60.3)	0.011^a
Do you practice any of these coping strategies?
Meditation	14 (50.0)	14 (50.0)	< 0.001^b
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.

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Citation: 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
URL: https://www.wjgnet.com/2220-3206/full/v16/i3/114371.htm
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v16.i3.114371

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]

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