The Spiritual Burnout Scale: Development and Psychometric Validation of a Measure of Spiritual Resource Depletion in...

Spirituality is widely recognized as a resource for meaning-making and coping, yet comparatively little attention has been devoted to the progressive depletion of spiritual resources. The present study aimed to develop and provide initial psychometric validation of the spiritual burnout scale (SBS), a theoretically grounded instrument assessing spiritual meaning loss and spiritual exhaustion. Four independent samples of university students in Türkiye were used for principal component analysis (PCA; n = 342), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 195), criterion-related validity (n = 57), and test-retest reliability (n = 47). PCA identified a 16-item, two-factor structure, and CFA supported the proposed model (χ²/df = 2.86, CFI = .961, TLI = .947, IFI = .962, RMSEA = .074). Convergent validity was supported by satisfactory average variance extracted and composite reliability values, whereas evidence for discriminant validity was less conclusive for spiritual exhaustion. Criterion-related validity showed the expected overall pattern of negative associations with spiritual integrity and spiritual psychological robustness, although the association between spiritual exhaustion and spiritual integrity was not statistically significant. Internal consistency was excellent for spiritual meaning loss (α = .940), spiritual exhaustion (α = .907), and the total scale (α = .944). Test-retest reliability over a 15-day interval was satisfactory (r = .798, p < .001). These findings provide initial support for the reliability and structural validity of SBS scores among university students in Türkiye. Because two items refer directly to inner peace, future studies should examine their possible overlap with mental health and closely related psychosocial measures.