R. Pervaiz, T. A. Malik
This study examines the relationship of IP and PsyCap with Psychological Distress (PD) among university students and if this association differs between male and female students.
Background: Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is linked with adverse mental health outcomes among university students, whereas Psychological Capital (PsyCap) may work as a personal resource linked with improved mental health outcomes. This study examines the relationship of IP and PsyCap with Psychological Distress (PD) among university students and if this association differs between male and female students. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students (N = 323) who completed measures of IP, PsyCap and PD. Pearson correlation was used to measure the association among the mentioned variables. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to assess the predictive effect of IP and PsyCap on PD after controlling for gender, educational group, and recent stressor. Exploratory gender analysis and a separate regression analysis for depression, anxiety, and stress were also conducted. Results: PD was positively correlated with IP (r = .595, p < .01) and negatively associated with PsyCap (r = -.282, p < .01). In the hierarchical regression, the addition of IP and PsyCap explained an additional variance of 37% in PD, increasing the total variance to 42.2%. IP emerged as the strongest predictor and PsyCap showed a significant negative predictive effect. Exploratory gender analysis revealed that IP significantly predicted PD among both male ({beta} = .587, p < .001) and female students ({beta} = .554, p < .001), while PsyCap demonstrated a significant negative association with PD among females ({beta} = -.156, p < .004), not males ({beta} =.141, p < .130). Regression analysis of dimensions of PD indicated that IP significantly predicted stress ({beta} = .532), anxiety ({beta} = .499), and depression ({beta} = .507), all p < .001. Conclusion: The findings indicate that IP is strongly associated with PD among university students and has a similar predictive effect on male and female students. PsyCap showed a modest negative association with PD. The study highlights the importance of impostor experiences for university students and cultivating psychological resources to support the mental health and well-being of university students. Keywords: Psychological distress, Impostor phenomenon. Psychological capital, gender differences, university students