Is burn-out finally a disease or not?

In May 2019, WHO has stated that burn-out should be considered as a disease in the new version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This information was widely disseminated in the news media. However, a few hours later, the international organisation stepped back. All this confusion brings us to that question: what exactly is burn-out? Moreover, should it be considered a disease or not? Freudenberger defined burn-out as ‘ a state of fatigue or frustration brought about devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward’ .1 Maslach has then developed the most used questionnaire to assess …