

S490
24th European Congress of Psychiatry / European Psychiatry 33S (2016) S349–S805
graphic data were collected, and the patients were evaluated with
the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), NIHSS, BAI and MMSE
at baseline, and then followed up each month for detection of PSD
using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression (CES-D)
scale.
Results
In all, 285 patients with ischemic stroke were enrolled,
and 93.3% completed the 6-month study. The overall incidence of
PSD within six months was 16.5%. In multivariate regression anal-
yses, the incidence of PSD was significantly associated with higher
BAI, higher NIHSS and higher TAS-20 scores.
Conclusions
Higher levels of alexithymia, anxiety and stroke
severity were identified as risk factors for PSD. This is the first
study to address the significant relationship between alexithymia
and PSD. Clinical professionals should pay more attention to stroke
patients with alexithymic features and other risk factors, so as to
be able to intervene and possibly prevent the occurrence of PSD.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1427EV443
The resource utilisation associated
with medically unexplained physical
symptoms
F. Sundram
1 ,∗
, K. Lee
2, M. Johnson
11
University of Auckland, Psychological Medicine, Auckland, New
Zealand
2
University of Otago, Medicine, Dunedin, New Zealand
∗
Corresponding author.
Introduction
Patients with medically unexplained physical
symptoms (MUPS) may present frequently to hospital settings and
receive potentially unnecessary investigations and treatments.
Objective
A sample of 49 patients was drawn and their hand-
written and electronic clinical records were examined in detail
to extricate all MUPS-related secondary care activity within
six months of the MUPS presentation (emergency department,
inpatient stays, outpatient appointments, and all associated inves-
tigations, procedures and medications).
Aims
We aimed to assess the frequency and type of MUPS pre-
sentations to clinical services and estimate the associated direct
healthcare costs.
Method
This study was undertaken at Waitemata District Health
Board (WDHB), the largest DHB in New Zealand. All patients with a
diagnosed presentation of MUPS in 2013 were identified using the
WDHB clinical coding system. Their clinical records were screened
to select all patientswhomatched the study inclusion and exclusion
criteria. Standardised national costing methodology was used to
calculate the associated healthcare costs.
Results
Forty-five percent of patients presented to hospital set-
tings at least twice over the one-year timeframe. Themost common
diagnoses were non-epileptic seizures (31%) and hyperventilation
syndrome (30%). The total cost for the sample was NZ$179, 271
(mean NZ$3659). Costs were most significant in the areas of inpa-
tient admissions and emergency care.
Conclusion
MUPS can result in frequent presentations to hospi-
tal settings. The costs incurred are substantial and comparable to
the costs of chronic medical conditions with identifiable pathol-
ogy. Improving the recognition and management of MUPS has the
potential to offer more appropriate and cost-effective healthcare
nationally and internationally.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1428EV444
Evaluation of the stability of the
clinical and epidemiological
psychiatric characteristics in the
consultation liaison unit of a general
hospital
E. Tercelan Alvarez
1 ,∗
, A. Cabrera Lozano
2, R. Angora Ca˜neco
3,
C.L. Gomez Gonzalez
1, C. Gomis Martinez
1,
L. Gonzalez Hernandez
1, V. Rodriguez Garcia
1, C. Ortigosa
1,
M. Anibarro Tienda
11
Hospital San Juan, Psychiatry, Alicante, Spain
2
Hospital 12 de Octubre, psychiatry, Madrid, Spain
3
Hospital 12 de Octubre, Psyhiatry, Madrid, Spain
∗
Corresponding author.
Introduction
Interconsultations services are a fundamental part
of the psychiatry departments as they constitute the junction point
with other medical and surgical specialties.
Objectives
Descriptive study of the psychiatric assessments and
interventions in the consultation liaison unit of a general hospital
over a period of one year (2014).
Aims
Establish whether there is some degree of stability in the
type of requested psychiatric assessment.
Methods
Creation of a database from the information of themed-
ical record of the units of psychiatrics’ interconsultion with the
subsequent statistical processing.
Results
Regarding the results obtained during the year 2014 and
compared itwith the ones of 2013, it shows that despite the number
of inquiries has increased almost twice (397 to 764) it has remained
relatively stable the hierarchy order of requests but with a slight
increase of adaptive depressive disorders
( Fig. 1 ).Conclusions
Given our results, despite the limitations of this type
of study (cross-sectional study), we consider that there is some sta-
bility in the type of psychiatric assessment requested. We believe
it is essential to make this type of assessment as they allow the
development of strategies in order to improve the psychiatric care.
Fig. 1
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1429