Abstract
Background: Burnout is a growing occupational health concern among healthcare professionals, yet limited evidence has focused specifically on speech-language pathologists (SLPs), who experience unique emotional and cognitive demands in clinical practice.
Objective: To assess the prevalence, contributing factors, and workplace differences associated with burnout among clinical speech-language pathologists.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 licensed SLPs recruited from hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private clinics. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including demographic variables and a validated burnout assessment tool measuring emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Ethical approval was obtained, and all procedures adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, employing descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis.
Results: Moderate burnout was the most prevalent (n = 56; 46.7%), followed by low burnout (n = 38; 31.7%) and high burnout (n = 26; 21.6%). Emotional exhaustion showed the highest domain score (M = 26.3), and burnout levels differed significantly across workplace settings (χ² = 6.42, p = .040), with hospital-based SLPs exhibiting the highest proportion of high burnout (32.5%).
Conclusion: Burnout was common among SLPs, particularly in hospital environments, highlighting the need for targeted organizational support and interventions to protect clinician wellbeing and maintain high-quality patient care.