Considering the growing scientific interest in burnout phenomenon, we present a sample of the theoretic diversity that constitutes the research field in this area presenting some of the debates currently being held on its concept. We discuss apparent limitations of the empirical approach on the comprehension of burnout conceptual nature, indicating a possible contribution from the clinical practice (within the field of psychiatry) to this debate.
burnout - concept; mental stress; organizational psychology; nervous fatigue; occupational stress
