Does self-compassion protect against imposter feelings?

Does self-compassion have a protective effect against the impact of imposter feelings? (Self-compassion is treating yourself kindly, accepting your imperfections and recognising that struggle is part of normal experience.)

A 2025 study in Frontiers in Psychology examined over 1,200 doctoral students in the United States to explore the link between impostor feelings and mental health, and whether self-compassion could act as a protective factor.

The researchers measured impostor feelings, self-compassion and symptoms of anxiety, depression and loneliness. They found that while students with higher impostor feelings were more likely to experience mental distress, self-compassion significantly weakened this link. Students with strong impostor feelings but high self-compassion reported far lower degrees of anxiety, depression and loneliness than those low in self-compassion. In some cases, the effect was strong enough that the association between impostor feelings and loneliness almost disappeared.

It is important to note that the doctoral student population studied tends to experience significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression and impostor‑related distress than many other adult populations. This means that the intensity of the observed effects may not be reflected in the same way outside academic or highly pressured educational contexts.

Although the study focused on doctoral students, other research suggests the pattern may be relevant to non-students in professional and workplace contexts. Self-compassion has been shown to improve wellbeing across adult populations and impostor feelings are fairly common among early career professionals, high-achieving employees and some leaders. This implies that cultivating self-compassion could help reduce the emotional impact of impostor feelings in a broader range of settings, even if the effect size may differ.

Impostor feelings are fairly common but not inevitably harmful. Self-compassion can be developed so this may help reduce their emotional impact. For students, early career professionals and high-achieving individuals, this represents a practical tool for improving wellbeing and resilience in demanding environments.

For further information or support on developing self-compassion do get in touch: enquiries@managingchange.org.uk

It is worth bearing mind that these findings come from US doctoral students; effects may vary in different cultures or professional groups. While prior research supports the general benefits of self-compassion, the exact moderating effect of self-compassion on impostor feelings outside academic settings is not yet established.

Reference: Clarke B. J. and Hartley M. T. (2025) Exploring relationships between self‑compassion, impostor phenomenon, and mental health among doctoral students. Frontiers in Psychology, 16:1669075. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1669075 (link)