The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Mental Health, Self-esteem and Emotion Regulation of Medical Students with Imposter Syndrome

Medical students often experience self-doubt due to the demanding nature of their coursework and numerous assignments, which may indicate Imposter Syndrome (IS).

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in improving mental health, self-esteem, and emotional regulation among medical students dealing with IS.

A semi-experimental design was used, incorporating a pre-test-post-test approach with a control group. The statistical sample included medical students from Tarbiat Modares University in 2023. A total of 36 students were selected through purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 18) or the control group (n = 18). Data collection tools included questionnaires assessing IS, mental health, self-esteem, and emotion regulation. The experimental group received eight 90-minute CBT sessions based on the approach by Egan and Shafran (2017), while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance with SPSS24 software.

The results showed that CBT significantly reduced expressive suppression (F = 78.04, η² = 0.72) and increased mental health (F = 37.73, η² = 0.56), self-esteem (F = 54.76, η² = 0.64), and cognitive reappraisal (F = 35.65, η² = 0.55) among students with IS (P < 0.001).

The findings suggest that CBT is an effective intervention for improving the psychological well-being of medical students experiencing IS. The significant improvements in mental health, self-esteem, and emotional regulation underscore CBT's potential as a valuable tool for this population.