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HARPPHARPP for Veterans with PTSD and Obesity

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What is being tested

HARPP

+ control arm for HARPP trial

Behavioral
Who is being recruted

Over 18 Years
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Interventional
Study Start: January 2026
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorVA Office of Research and Development
Study ContactNadiyah Sulayman, BAMore contacts
Last updated: December 11, 2025
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: January 5, 2026

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

This study aims to address the challenges faced by Veterans who have both obesity and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions are common among Veterans and can negatively affect physical activity and diet, making it hard for them to manage their weight. The VA offers treatments for both obesity and PTSD, but not many use them, and those with PTSD tend to lose less weight compared to others. To tackle this, a program called HARPP has been developed. It combines weight management and PTSD therapy, also reviewing medications that might contribute to weight gain. Initial tests showed that Veterans who participated were satisfied and saw improvements in both weight and PTSD symptoms. This study is essential as it seeks to test HARPP's effectiveness in a larger group, potentially leading to better health outcomes for Veterans if successful. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one will receive the HARPP program, while the other will receive standard treatments currently available. The HARPP program includes 16 individual sessions combining weight management and PTSD therapy, with medication reviews to potentially adjust prescriptions that affect weight. The study will monitor participants over 6 to 12 months, focusing on their weight loss and reduction in PTSD symptoms. Researchers will look at how well the program is accepted, how easy it is to implement, and the costs involved. If HARPP proves successful, it could lead to broader use within the VA to help Veterans with these challenging conditions.

Official TitleTesting an Integrated PTSD and Weight Management Intervention: A Hybrid Type 1 Trial 
NCT07010757
Principal SponsorVA Office of Research and Development
Study ContactNadiyah Sulayman, BAMore contacts
Last updated: December 11, 2025
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

182 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.



Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Over 18 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Current PTSD Diagnosis per Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS) * Obesity: BMI of 30 kg/m2 * Enrolled in VAPS primary care to ensure safety and facilitate HARPP's medication component * Willing to do intervention or control and assessments Exclusion Criteria: * Not fluent in English, severe hearing loss, no phone access * Recent MOVE! or CPT participation ( 2 visits in past 2 months) * Had bariatric surgery in past 6 months or plans to receive it in next 12 months * 1 fill of AOM in the past 90 days * Current pregnancy * Any history of a bulimia diagnosis and/or meets criteria for bulimia * Cannot participate due to a) acute substance use, mental health, or medical exacerbation or b) at least moderate neurologic conditions, e.g., dementia

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

2 intervention groups are designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
In HARPP, MOVE! and CPT are delivered in up to 16 individual psychotherapy sessions. While all CPT content is included, it is slightly tailored to address factors that interfere with health behavior change (e.g., hypervigilance that hinders community-based physical activity). All MOVE! materials are included; MOVE! uses cognitive-behavioral techniques and autonomy-supporting counseling to promote physical activity and healthy eating. HARPP targets other PTSD-related barriers to recovery and healthy lifestyles by promoting sleep and relationship quality, and community engagement. HARPP participants receive at least one medication management consultation (review by clinician and telephone session) focused on currently may cause weight gain and AOM options. When relevant and based upon Veteran interest, medications are changed or prescribed, in coordination with the Veteran's psychiatric and primary care teams.

Group II

Active Comparator
Participants in the control condition will receive the following: 1. Referral to MOVE!; they will select a MOVE! that fits their schedule (at VAPS MOVE! is a 12-week group). 2. Standard CPT in 60-minute individual sessions, delivered by 4 CPT-trained psychotherapists (different therapists than intervention arm therapists to avoid contamination). 3. One non-visit consult medication review using the same procedures and template outlined above. After the non-visit consult, the Dr. will alert the Veteran's relevant usual care team member(s) via the non-visit consult template in the medical record. They will not have direct contact with control participants, but the study team will monitor for safety following any medication changes.

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Division, Seattle, WA

Seattle, United StatesSee the location
Recruiting soonOne Study Center