by Taruna Hariparsad
Imposter syndrome is defined as “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success”. It manifests as that feeling of panic you get when someone compliments your work because you wonder “is this really good work?”.
While most people at some point experience this, research shows that people of colour, particularly Black women, are disproportionately impacted by imposter syndrome.
Now, we could delve into why this is, and all the causes rooted in centuries of oppression, othering and racial stereotypes concerning intelligence and belonging. This is an important endeavour in order to contextualise the issue. However, what is more, important is the lack of awareness and inability to deal with it today in schools and the workplace.
Mental health has gained in prominence over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly given its impact on an individual’s mental states. In developing countries, mental health is a serious public health issue due to insufficient resourcing or prominence in policy agendas. South Africa is no exception to this, with unclear mandates and limited funding. Granted, the country does have a number of public health issues and a dwindling resource base to deal with these, so in this context, perhaps it is understandable why an issue like mental health would sit on the back burner.
As a policy professional in local government, it has been a struggle to get mental health on the policy agenda, and not because departments do not see it as important, they do, but because they do not have the capacity or resources, and more importantly- the mandate. Here, the issue is the inability to understand the way in which mental health permeates all other aspects of life, and consequently, the impact and success of the implementation of policies and programmes. This is especially true for a country like South Africa, given its discriminatory history and high levels of violent crime- causing widespread trauma.
In most workplaces, there are generally ways in which staff can obtain mental health, or wellness support. In general, most mental health focus is on issues such as depression and anxiety, but more nuanced issues are not taken into account, understood or even recognized, and these contribute towards depression and anxiety. Additionally, intersecting issues such as race and gender are not adequately taken into account in terms of mental health research and response, and these are crucial aspects.
Imposter syndrome can be exacerbated by issues such as exclusionary work culture and requires more than an ‘employee wellness’ approach. It requires a specific level of awareness and understanding by managers and colleagues, especially as teams and companies become more transformed (hopefully). Transformation is more than just a numbers games, it demands a cultural and dynamic shift in the way in which people speak and interact.
Whenever I feel that panic set in, I often think about what Michelle Obama said about experiencing imposter syndrome, “I’ve sat at every powerful table you can think of – they’re not that smart”.
