THE RISK OF BURNOUT SYNDROME IN SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Abstract

Burnout is a current topic which many researchers are dealing with. This syndrome is most commonly considered to occur in people who are engaged in ‘helping professions’. Since speech-language pathologists belong to the helping professions, the goal of this study was to assess the extent to which burnout symptoms are present among speech-language pathologists in the Republic of Serbia. The sample of this research included 150 speech-language pathologists employed in state institutions and private centres throughout the Republic of Serbia. The assessment of burnout symptoms was performed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), which measures three different dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and personal achievement. The use of statistical procedures confirmed the majority of the research hypotheses. This population displays burnout symptoms, which are usually low (on the Depersonalisation and Personal Achievement scales) or high (Emotional Exhaustion) in degree. According to the findings of this study, while older speech-language pathologists report a high level of emotional exhaustion, they also report a higher level of personal achievement. Respondents with more work experience report a greater level of exhaustion. Lower levels of emotional weariness and a lower degree of personal achievement were reported by speech-language pathologists with less work experience. Satisfaction with one’s level of income was found to be the most significant predictor of burnout symptoms. Marital status and the number of children have not been associated with burnout symptoms.