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High-flying graduate, 22, who got job with one of Britain’s top cyber security firms took her own life while suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’
Amy Havers, a 22-year-old University of Bristol graduate, took her own life ten months after starting a graduate job at BAE Digital Intelligence. An inquest heard that she believed she was underperforming and falling behind colleagues, despite receiving positive feedback; her family and partner described how distressing the job had become for her.
Havers had excelled in a summer internship before being offered a Business Analyst role, and graduated with a high 2:1 in Business and Management. Her father told investigators she experienced “imposter syndrome”; her partner said she often cried after work and felt she was burdening others. She had no known prior history of depression, and had seen a therapist, but remained convinced she was not doing well.
In short
- Amy Havers took her own life aged 22.
- An inquest heard she felt she was failing at work.
- She had received positive feedback and excelled in an internship.
Explained simply
Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you are not capable or deserving of your achievements, even when others recognise your work. It can lead people to doubt their skills and worry that they will be exposed as inadequate.
Graduate jobs can involve unfamiliar tasks, high expectations and comparisons with colleagues. In this case, Amy Havers had succeeded in an internship and received positive feedback, while her family and partner said she remained distressed about her performance.
An inquest examines the circumstances of a death and hears evidence from people involved. Such cases can highlight the importance of recognising distress and making support accessible, while mental health difficulties are not always apparent to others.
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