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Do you doubt your skills, abilities, or accomplishments? Do you work in a role you’re objectively qualified to fill, yet still feel like a fraud? If so, you may have imposter syndrome, also known as imposter phenomenon. Although the term lacks an accepted medical definition, it’s often described as a cycle of perfectionism, over-preparation, fear of failure, denial of competence, and inability to internalize success.

It’s normal to feel this way, according to occupational health behavioral scientist Reg Richards, DrPH, CIH. “All of us can and a lot of us have experienced imposter syndrome,” he told SynergistNOW staff. The condition is especially linked to high-achieving people in high-pressure, high-stakes settings such as healthcare and academia, as well as to women and members of other marginalized groups. However, anyone may experience it, no matter their age, gender, racial or ethnic background, nationality, or level of education.

Richards also emphasized that imposter syndrome should be taken seriously: “It can result in health issues and keep you from achieving your goals.” The condition often coexists with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, somatic symptoms, and social dysfunction. People with imposter syndrome often set unrealistic goals, leading to exhaustion and burnout. Burnout itself is associated with worsened mental and physical health and unsafe behaviors.

Fortunately, if you experience imposter syndrome, there are ways to address it. “You can counter it by knowing who you are, giving yourself credit, and opening up,” Richards said.

Factors Contributing to Imposter Syndrome

Richards himself has experienced imposter syndrome. “As you start a new job, sometimes you wonder, ‘What did I get myself into? Do I really know what I’m doing here?’” he said. “I have a lot of experience with that. And I’ve supervised folks who I think have been in that situation, where sometimes they’re questioning their abilities and thinking that they’re not a good fit for a certain position or project.”

As an occupational health behavioral scientist, Richards is qualified to assess the workplace effects of imposter syndrome. Occupational health behavioral scientists use psychological and occupational health principles to solve issues affecting worker health and safety. “I look at organizational changes to enhance the health and safety of the population—that being workers,” Richards explained. “And then when I look at the population, I can determine psychosocial risks for that population.”

Imposter syndrome, like all workplace risks, doesn’t arise spontaneously but is influenced by environmental factors. “There are a lot of external forces that can contribute to imposter syndrome,” Richards said. “For example, if you have a non-supportive supervisor, that can do it.”

He mentioned a former supervisor of his own, who had instructed him to create a risk communication package. But when Richards delivered the completed package, his supervisor told him it wasn’t what she was looking for. “I said, ‘Great, can you give me a little bit about what you want?’” Richards related. “She said, ‘I don’t know what I want, but this isn’t it.’ That was very frustrating.” Experiences like this may lead a worker to doubt their competence and disengage from their work, he explained.

Someone at the beginning of their career may also be more vulnerable. “In college,” Richards said, “we are taught to be lone wolves because your work has to be your own.” When recent graduates enter the workplace, they’ve often internalized the belief that they must know everything about their field. In fact, they can turn to resources or colleagues for help. “I always have to remind them that even now, if I need to work on something, I have my references.”

A worker’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and personality traits may also have an effect. Someone who is cynical, prone to extrapolating conclusions from peripheral information, or in the habit of comparing themselves to others might be more likely to develop imposter syndrome. Richards spoke of his youngest brother, who felt pressured to follow Richards and his other brother into a military career. “That actually contributed to his imposter syndrome,” Richards said. “He felt he wasn’t as valuable because he was constantly being compared.”

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Richards isn’t a clinical psychologist—he isn’t trained to treat individual people for mental health issues. However, he can offer general guidance for addressing it. While an employee may have little control over their work environment, he emphasized that they can control how they respond to that environment.

Again, Richards referred to his hard-to-please former supervisor. He couldn’t control her words and actions, but he could control how he reacted to them. For example, he could ask his colleagues for help, since they had worked with the supervisor for some time and understood her expectations. He could give himself credit by reminding himself that he was doing the best he could with the information he’d been given. “And then, as corny as it sounds, it’s going through my mantra,” he said. “I am safe. I am worthy. I am enough. I trust myself. I deserve to be cared for. And I know what I’m doing.”

Strategies such as these can help a person develop resilience to imposter syndrome. Richards plans to cover them in more detail in his upcoming educational session at AIHA Connect 2026, “Imposter Syndrome in Science and Safety: Confronting the Inner Critic.”

The session will cover three topics, Richards said. “The first one is, what is imposter syndrome? The next topic is, what causes it? And the last topic is, what can you do about it?” Participants will learn to identify imposter syndrome and the personality traits that may contribute to it. Then they will practice recognizing circumstances that trigger imposter syndrome, embracing the vulnerability of seeking help, and exercising self-care.

Richards stressed that he is not a clinical psychologist, and he advised potential attendees to speak to a therapist or life coach if they need further treatment. For those interested in imposter syndrome and other psychosocial hazards from the perspective of occupational health behavioral science, Richards suggested the professional development course "Building Resilience Through Psychosocial Risk Management" on May 30. This PDC will cover organizational practices to control psychosocial hazards and will be co-instructed by Richards, Mike Ierardi, MS, CIH, CSP, and Jennifer Holliday, CIH.

In the educational session, however, Richards aims to create a safe, low-pressure environment in which all participants can share their own experiences with imposter syndrome, if they wish. “I want folks to have fun,” he said. “It’s always going to be positive.”

“Will the topics be sensitive? Maybe for some people, but I want them to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Richards added. “Because I’ll be right there with them, and I’ll share my stories and say, ‘I’ve been through this, here are some of the things that I’ve experienced, and here’s what I’ve done about it.’”

Reg Richards will present “Imposter Syndrome in Science and Safety: Confronting the Inner Critic” on Wednesday, June 3rd, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Central time. AIHA Connect 2026 will be held June 1–3 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. To view the conference agenda or to register, visit aihaconnect.org.

Resource:

The Synergist: "Taking On Imposter Syndrome" (December 2021).