Burnout Levels Among Speech and Language Therapy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Burnout is common among healthcare professionals, including speech and language therapists (SLTs), who frequently face high workloads, long working hours, and significant occupational stress. These challenges may also affect students during their academic training. This study aimed to examine burnout levels among speech and language therapy students and to investigate the relationship between burnout, depression, and trait hope. Method: The study was conducted with 291 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 25 years at Biruni University in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Burnout Scale, the Trait Hope Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory, all of which are validated and reliable instruments. Due to non-normal data distribution, non-parametric statistical analyses were performed. Results: A total of 291 students (260 female, 31 male) participated in the study. No significant differences were found in burnout, hope, or depression scores across class levels (p > .05). Descriptive findings indicated that students experienced notable levels of burnout overall, with variability across individuals. Third-year students showed relatively higher burnout tendencies, which may reflect increasing academic workload and clinical responsibilities. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between burnout and depression (r = .647, p < .001). In contrast, hope was negatively correlated with both depression (r = −.462, p < .001) and burnout (r = −.320, p < .001). Conclusion: Burnout appears to be a relevant concern among SLT students, even in the absence of differences across academic years. The strong association between burnout and depression highlights the importance of addressing students’ psychological well-being, while the negative relationship with hope suggests a potential protective role. Supporting psychological resources and coping strategies may help reduce burnout and promote well-being in SLT students.