Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Comorbid Cannabis Use Disorder and Emotional Disorders

Cannabis misuse and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are highly prevalent and rates continue to rise. Further, individuals with cannabis misuse and/or CUD experience especially high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders (i.e., emotional disorders), and the co-occurrence of emotional disorders with CUD is related to worse CUD treatment outcomes. Yet very little research has been done to develop and test treatments to improve outcomes for these patients. In this chapter, we review the extant data on the prevalence of comorbid cannabis misuse/CUD and emotional disorders and data concerning the impact of this comorbidity on treatment outcomes. We also review the extant literature on personalized treatments developed specifically for these high-risk patients. We also provide case material from patients seen at our clinic to illustrate the application of a personalized, integrated treatment for this comorbidity. We end the chapter with some considerations for future directions in this line of work. It is our hope that the information provided in this chapter will be useful for mental health professionals who treat patients with comorbid emotional disorders and CUD, as well as inspire researchers to continue to develop and test personalized treatment for these underserved patients.