We study the relation between the ψ(4160) and the Y (4260) within an unitarized effective Lagrangian approach. The Y (4260) arises as a manifestation of the ψ(4160), when a loop-driven decay of the type of ψ(4160) → D * sD * s → J/ψf 0 (980) is enhanced by the proximity of the pole, corresponding to the ψ(4160), to the almost closed D * sD * s decay channel. Other f 0 resonances that may add a non-negligible contribution, by the same mechanism, are not included for simplicity, but they are not expected to change the main conclusion. Within this picture, the Y (4260) is not, therefore, an independent resonance, but rather a variation of the ψ(4160), which also explains why it is not seen in OZI-allowed decay channels in the experiment.