Dialectical Behavior Therapy versus Motivational Interviewing for Cannabis Use Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

This randomized controlled clinical trial aims to compare the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) in the treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) among adults receiving outpatient care in Istanbul, Türkiye. Cannabis Use Disorder is defined according to DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria and will be confirmed through structured clinical assessment. A total of 60 participants will be recruited from private outpatient psychiatric and psychological clinics and randomly assigned to either a DBT group (n = 30) or an MI group (n = 30). Both interventions will be delivered in a structured, manualized format and matched in session frequency and duration. Outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline and post-treatment (with an optional follow-up, if implemented). The primary outcome is reduction in cannabis use severity and frequency of use. Secondary outcomes include changes in craving intensity, emotion regulation difficulties, and associated depressive and anxiety symptoms. This study seeks to evaluate whether an emotion regulation–focused intervention (DBT) provides superior outcomes compared to a motivation-enhancement approach (MI) in individuals with CUD within a real-world outpatient clinical setting. Findings may contribute to optimizing psychotherapy selection for cannabis-related problems in community mental health practice.