Stability of Psychiatric Diagnoses in Candidates to Liver Transplantation Referred to a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service

Objective: To investigate the stability over time of the psychiatric diagnoses among
candidates to liver transplantation referred to a consultation-liaison psychiatric service. Method:
Descriptive study, carried out at the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service (CLPS) placed at the
Modena (Italy) General University Hospital. All patients waiting for liver transplantation and
repeatedly referred to the CLPS were enrolled. The observation period was from 1 January 2008 to 31
December 2013. Pearson’s coefficients were calculated to measure diagnostic stability (index referral
vs. last referral). Results: One hundred patients were assessed (males 67%; mean age 53 ± 7 years
old). The mean number of referrals for patients was 3 ± 2. The stability rate of psychiatric diagnosis
was 64%. The following diagnoses or conditions were all significantly stable (i.e., all featured by
r > 0.5 and p < 0.05): Adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, comorbid anxiety/depressive disorder,
substance use disorder (including alcohol), absence of any disorder, and presence of any disorder.
Conclusions: The good level of diagnostic stability displayed in the sample may be a function of
the clinical and organizational “style” of the CLPS, namely the focus on identifying the prevailing
personality traits, defensive mechanisms, and relational patterns.