A Randomized Controlled Trial of Social Support Intervention Effects on Stress and Burnout in School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists

PURPOSE: Social support is an interpersonal resource with established effects on reducing occupational stress and burnout. Unlike typically recommended self-care and self-awareness techniques, social support can be directly implemented in the workplace and serves as an effective buffer against job-related stressors. This study aimed to determine how social support influences reported occupational stress and burnout symptoms among speech-language pathologists (SLPs). METHOD: We developed and implemented a social support group program called Peer Support for School-based Speech-Language Therapists, using a randomized control trial design. Forty-six school-based SLPs were randomly assigned to either an immediate or delayed treatment group and participated in weekly social support group sessions online for 6 weeks. Pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest scores on the SLP Stress Inventory and the Maslach Burnout Inventory: Educators Survey were compared. RESULTS: Changes across postintervention and delayed postintervention for the treatment group were observed. A significant difference was found between each time point for total stress scores and for emotional exhaustion scores. The mean total stress score was significantly reduced between baseline intervention and postintervention and then increased slightly at delayed postintervention. The data did not reveal significant posttest differences between the treatment and delayed treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: The positive feedback provided by the participants suggests that access to additional peer support can be equally important to the management of stress and burnout symptoms. Implications, limitations, and future directions of this work are discussed. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.33989560.