Over half of women have experienced imposter syndrome – and say it gets in the way of romantic relationships (24%), making new friends (22%), and even parenting (18%).
A poll of 4,000 adults found that almost two-thirds of women (62%) claim to have hardly ever felt true confidence in their lives, as 53% struggle with unwarranted feelings of self-doubt, incompetence, and being underqualified.
For three-quarters of women (72%), these feelings are most likely to occur in the workplace, while 29% experience this during education, or even while out with friends.
Comparatively, 54% of the men surveyed said they have never felt this way at all – while 63% admit they only ever feel like an imposter in the workplace.
Women say that symptoms of imposter syndrome typically start as young as 23 years old – with a fifth saying that a key trigger is the pressure to “have it all”.
The research was commissioned by Galaxy confectionary, as part as part of its video series launch, “How to Thrive”, with Young Women’s Trust, to help give the tools to conquer imposter syndrome.
The chocolate brand has also teamed up with television presenter, AJ Odudu, to raise awareness about the issue.
She said: “Imposter syndrome can be a crippling entity which impacts so many areas of everyday life.
“It can consume you whilst on social media, it can take over when away from home for the first time at university, it can also have an impact when forging friendships.
“As someone that has faced it regularly in the past, it’s been a pleasure working on this content series where I get to work alongside some incredible people, and hopefully provide some tangible advice for women across the UK.”
The study also found that while 63% believe a lack of confidence initially contributed to these feelings, 44% think constantly comparing themselves to others was another root cause – and three in ten think being a “perfectionist” has influenced it.
Worryingly, just a quarter of women who feel like an imposter have spoken openly about it, compared to 37% of men.
And only 30% of women with these feelings have tried to reduce them.
However, of those who have not attempted to mitigate imposter syndrome, 45% conceded they “don’t know where to start” to overcome it – and half admitted they have just learnt to live with it.
Overall, 65% of the men and women polled, via OnePoll, believe imposter syndrome has become more prevalent among younger people because of the pressure they face – like constant connectivity and social media.
Victoria Gell, spokeswoman for Galaxy, said: “Our ambition is to empower young women, creating a ripple effect of women who then go on to enable the next generation to thrive.
“From the work we do supporting women in our cocoa growing regions with education, finance support, and entrepreneurship, to campaigns such as this, we want to help make a difference.”
Claire Reindorp, CEO at Young Women’s Trust, added: “Young women face many challenges reaching their potential, progressing in life, and earning what they should.
“They’re more likely to be in lower paid jobs and sectors of the economy, and more likely to get stuck there.
“At a time in life when women should be growing and learning, they’re instead too often trapped in a struggle just to get by.
“I am delighted that Galaxy is helping us to tackle this head-on, by funding our coaching service which helps young women to increase their incomes and their confidence.”
