European Psychiatry - Volume 41 - April 2017

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S226 25th European Congress of Psychiatry / European Psychiatry 41S (2017) S170–S237
associated with an increased risk for psychosis. A dysfunctional
motivational reward system is thought to be one of the salient fea-
tures in psychosis caused by abnormal dopamine functioning. It
is unknown whether patients with 22q11DS have a dysfunctional
reward system.
Methods This study aims to investigate reward learning in
22q11DS. The study included 10 adults with 22q11DS (age: 33.1
years, 60% female) and 10 age-gender-matched healthy controls
(HC, age: 39.7 years, 60% female). A single infusion 18F-fallypride
PET scan was acquired during which all subjects performed a ver-
sion of the learning phase of the Probabilistic Stimulus Selection
Task for reward learning (RL), modified to deliver social feedback.
Results IQ-scores were significantly lower in the 22q11DS group
(P < .001) compared to HC. The 22q11DS group both earned signifi-
cantly less money (P < .05) and performed worse during the RL-task
(P < .05) than HC. However, the learning curve for the RL-task was
the same for both groups. IQ-scores were a significant positive pre-
dictor for earnings (P < .05) and performance (P < .05), but not for
the learning curve.
Conclusions These preliminary results indicate that people with
22q11DS are capable of learning at the same speed as HC, however
they are less susceptible for reward than HC because their overall
performance during RL is worse than HC. This lower reward sensi-
tivity could be a result of haplo-insufficiency of COMT in 22q11DS
and consequently abnormal prefrontal dopamine functioning.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
EW0354
Alexithymia and coping strategies:
Predictors of hopelessness?
G. Serafini ∗, L. Capobianco , M. Pompili , P. Girardi ,
M. Amore
1 Neuroscience Dinogmi, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
2 Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant’Andrea Hospital,
Suicide Prevention Center, Rome, Italy
3 Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant’Andrea Hospital,
Rome, Italy
∗ Corresponding author.
Introduction Alexithymic traits and coping strategies may affect
the onset and course ofmany psychiatric conditions. However, their
role in determining hopelessness and suicide risk has been not still
elucidated.
Objectives The present study analyzed the correlations between
alexithymia, coping strategies, and hopelessness.
Aims We aimed to evaluate whether specific coping strategies
and alexithymia may predict hopelessness which is widely consid-
ered an independent risk factor for suicide.
Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 276
patients (19.9%men, 81.1%women;mean age: 48.1 years, SD: 16.9),
of which most with major affective disorders, who were admitted
at the Psychiatric Unit of the University of Genoa (Italy). All par-
ticipants were assessed using the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS),
Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE), and Toronto
Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20).
Results Alexythimic subjects significantly differ from non-
alexythimic individuals in terms of substance abuse ( 2 = 23.1;
P = .027). According to bivariate analyses, we found a significant
correlation between hopelessness and suicidal thoughts/wishes
(r = .34; P = .01), humor (r = –.24; P= .05), and behavioural disen-
gagement (r= .205; P= .05). Behavioural disengagement is also a
positive predictor of hopelessness (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.03–1.52)
while humour is a negative predictor of hopelessness (OR = 0.85;
95% CI: 0.73–0.99).
Conclusions Behavioural disengagement needs to be considered
a risk factor while humor is a protective factor for suicide. Surpris-
ingly, we found no significant association between alexithymia and
hopelessness. Further additional studies are requested to test these
exploratory findings in order to more deeply elucidate the role of
both alexithymia and coping strategies in suicidal behaviour.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
EW0355
Clinical high risk symptoms and
criteria in the community: Prevalence,
clinical significance and risk factors
for their occurrence
F. Schultze-Lutter ∗, C. Michel , B.G. Schimmelmann ,
S. Ruhrmann
1 University of Bern, University Hospital of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern 60, Switzerland
2 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of
Cologne, Cologne, Germany
∗ Corresponding author.
Introduction In clinical samples, symptomatic ultra-high risk
(UHR) criteria and the basic symptom criterion “cognitive distur-
bances” perform well in predicting psychosis, and best when both
approaches are combined.
Objective However, little-to-nothing is known about clinical high
risk (CHR) and their constituent symptoms in the community.
Aims We studied the prevalence, clinical relevance, and moder-
ators of CHR criteria and symptoms in the community.
Method Regression analyses involved 2683 community partic-
ipants (age 16–40 years; response rate: 63.4%). Semi-structured
telephone interviews were performed by well-trained psycholo-
gists.
Results Lifetime and current CHR symptoms were reported by
21.1% and 13.8% of interviewees. Frequency of symptoms was
mostly low, only 2.4% met any CHR criterion. A stepwise relation-
ship underlay the association of the two types of CHR symptoms
and criteria with the presence of mental disorders and functional
deficits, with odds ratios being highest (7.4–31.8) when UHR and
basic symptoms occurred together. Report of a family history of
mental disorder generally increased risk for CHR symptoms. While
younger age increased risk for basic symptoms, lifetime substance
misuse and trauma increased risk for UHR symptoms.
Conclusions Prevalence of CHR criteria was within the to-
be-expected range from prevalence rates of psychoses. Clinical
relevance of both CHR symptoms and criteria increased in a step-
wise manner from basic symptoms via UHR symptoms to their
combined presence, reinforcing the clinical utility of their com-
bined use. The risk factors selectively associatedwith basic andUHR
symptoms support developmental models relating basic symptoms
to neurobiological and UHR symptoms to psychological factors.
Disclosure of interest The authors have not supplied their decla-
ration of competing interest.
EW0356
Two-step cluster analysis application
to a sample of psychiatric inpatients
at psychiatric service of diagnosis and
care
F. Ambrosini ∗, M. Benassi , R.P. Sant’Angelo , R. Raggini ,
L. Mandolesi , G. Piraccini
1 Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
2 U.O. Servizio Psichiatrico di Diagnosi e Cura, Istituto AUSL della
Romagna - Cesena, Cesena, Italy
∗ Corresponding author.